Angels' Delicacies
by DarkestCornerOfMyMind
Summary: Shizuo's ex-girlfriend from middle school has come to Ikebukuro. Her online alias is 'Eros', and she's scheming SOMETHING with her ex-boyfriend and a certain informant. Shizaya, OCxOC. Chapter 12: Dream - Izaya wants to talk to Shizuo about Miwa, but the blonde mistakes it as an invitation for something else. SEX IN THIS CHAPTER.
1. Unlikely Reunion

So... this is my first Durarara! fic. I'll warn you now, there will be a lot of _flashbacks_ with Shizuo and his ex-girl, but the story's main pairing is ShizuoxIzaya, so relax, OC haters.

I also try to make my OCs not as Mary Sue or Gary Stu as possible (unless I'm trying to make a point).

Well then... onward?

* * *

**-EROS HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM-**

**Eros****: Good evening.**

**Tanaka Taro****: ? Hello. Are you new here?**

**Eros****: I just moved to Ikebukuro today. I was hoping to get to know a few people first, even if only online.**

**Setton****: I see then. Welcome to Ikebukuro. **

**Eros****: Thank you very much.**

**-CHROME HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM-**

**Chrome****: Chrome-chan is heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere! Oh? We have a newcomer?**

**Eros****: Hello.**

**Chrome****: Nice to meet you~ Your name is Eros? Sooooo romantic! :3**

**Setton****: Eh? Why is it romantic?**

**Chrome****: Geez, Setton-san, you don't know and you call yourself a girl? ^3^**

**[Private mode] ****Setton****: … Now that's just hitting below the belt.**

**Chrome****: Eros is the son of Aphrodite, Goddess of LOVE *multiple hearts*. Eros is more commonly known as Cupid, if that helps~**

**Setton****: Ah, that fat little baby with wings? Indoor Scholar-san seems to have a weird obsession with those…**

**Eros****: Haha, yes. I happen to love mythology, Greek and Roman in general. **

**Tanaka Taro****: I don't know that many Greek or Roman myths… Would you mind telling me some?**

**Eros****: Sure, I wouldn't mind.**

**Eros****: Whoops, not now though. I've got some more work to do, setting up my new business and my apartment and stuff. **

**Chrome****: Ne ne, Eros-san, where do you live? Chrome-chan is super curious~**

**Eros****: Can't tell you that! Any rate, maybe we'll meet each other in Ikebukuro sometime. I love offline meetings. **

**Eros****: Do you all know who each other is in real life?**

**Tanaka Taro****: I know Setton-san in real life. Chrome-san… I have an inkling…**

**Chrome****: EHHHHH? No way! And I thought I hid my super secret identity super well! **

**Setton****: Well… it's you, isn't it?**

**Eros****: ?**

**Eros****: Anyway, I ought to get back to work. Talk to you guys some other time.**

**-EROS HAS LEFT THE CHATROOM-**

**Chrome****: I have to leave too~ See you guys later! Chrome-chan, signing out!**

**-CHROME HAS LEFT THE CHATROOM-**

**Tanaka Taro****: … Setton-san?**

**Tanaka Taro****: It's definitely 'that person', right?**

**Setton****: I think so…**

* * *

Heiwajima Shizuo took a long puff from his cigarette and sighed a bit. Tom had give him the day off but he really had nothing to do but to bask in the sun. Not that he didn't mind, it was just a bit lonesome today. Celty was busy doing her courier work, so he didn't really have anyone to talk to. And he definitely did not want to talk to Shinra. To top it off, it was still early morning. There was still the rest of the day to get through.

He stubbed his cancer stick out and tossed it in to a nearby trashcan. His stomach growled a bit… he hadn't eaten anything today. He decided to go find a bakery or something to get some sweet bread.

As he strode down the streets of Ikebukuro, some people parted way to let him by, muttering fearfully. Shizuo knew that his reputation within the city wasn't positive, but hopefully none of them thought of him as Orihara Izaya's counterpart.

Izaya… the mere thought of the brunette informant made the ex-bartender grind his teeth. That shitty little flea and his stupid fur coat and his stupid flickblades and his stupid, stupid laugh…

"Eek!"

"Hm?" Shizuo looked down to see that he had accidentally bumped in to a young woman and sent her sprawling on the sidewalk. "Oh, sorry about that, Miss," he offered his hand to her to help her up. The woman took it and Shizuo gave a small grunt of surprise as he pulled her up. She was quite slender and had a fairly nice body, but her weight was a lot more than it looked.

The woman looked equally surprised at the fact that this man could pull her up. She was quite pretty but a little morose looking with dark brown hair and deep gray eyes. The hair on the back of her head was short but the front was longer on one side than the other, with one side dipping below shoulder and the other around her pale cheeks. Her bangs were slanted towards the longer side and Shizuo could see that only her ear on the longer hair side was pierced. From it dangled a short silver chain with – Shizuo raised his eyebrow at this – an upside down cross. It was almost hidden by her hair but in the sunlight it winked through the strands clear as day. She was pretty tall for a girl – maybe around 172 cm – and she was dressed a bit boyishly. She wore no make-up on her face; Shizuo could see marks of former zits under her bangs.

"Thank you," the woman said softly, her deep eyes gazing at him. Shizuo shifted uncomfortably. Her gaze wasn't piercing (not like a certain flea's), but… wholesome. There was no other way to describe it. Her eyes didn't focus on just one thing, but _everything_; good deeds, sins, lies, happiness, anger, past. It was as if she was analyzing everything and _accepting _it at the same time. As if to prove this thought, she smiled at him, her eyes going coy. "You're quite strong, aren't you?"

Shizuo merely shrugged, not wanting to talk. Something about her gaze seemed almost… familiar. But he didn't want to say it in case she misunderstood it as a pick-up line.

"Would you mind taking off your sunglasses for a bit?"

"What?"

"Your sunglasses," she pointed to the blue shades. "Would you take them off, please?"

Something about this situation seemed familiar and Shizuo gritted his teeth as he remembered the day his brother got scouted in to becoming a model. The damn talent scout at approached _him_ first, not Kasuka. And he was so goddamn annoying about it, talking loudly of how Shizuo would win the favor of women, money, fame… as if he really gave a shit about any of that. He couldn't stand the idea of standing in front of cameras being told how to pose and how to look and then getting all the photos photoshopped later on.

This woman's gaze was almost similar, so Shizuo did not remove his sunglasses. To his immense surprise, however, the woman gave a little impatient click of the tongue and reached up to pluck them off his face herself. He would have been angry had he not been so surprised.

"I thought so," she remarked appraisingly. "You look like that movie star, Hanejima Yuuhei."

Though the compliment made Shizuo happy on the inside, he was also irritated. _Don't tell me this lady is _another_ one of those annoying…_

"You don't remember me at all, do you?"

Shizuo pulled himself out the reverie to stare at her. The woman's gray eyes twinkled at him softly, a mischievous smile tugging at her soft pink lips. Something in her expression sparked another memory for him, a memory of a happier time when he had been in middle school, friendless and alone until…

"It's been a while, Shizuo-kun."

"… Miwa?"

"You never change," the woman called Miwa sighed a little. "Why don't you ever call me by my first name?"

"Cause it's embarrassing."

"You say that even though we used to date? How cruel."

Shizuo grunted as the memory bubble that had been struggling to break free finally rose from the depths of his mind and began to replay, clear with 1080 HD.

* * *

_"Hello. Are you Heiwajima Shizuo?"_

_ Fourteen-year-old Shizuo looked up. His blond hair, bright from recently being dyed, shone in the sunlight. The young teen was glad that he was able to get a window seat. He took the girl in at a glance, then looked away and tried to ignore her. _

_ "It's not nice to ignore a girl when she's talking to you, you know?" the girl said teasingly, playing with her long hair that had been tied in a ponytail thrown over her shoulder. "I'm in this class too. My name is Miwa Nagi."_

THAT_ caught Shizuo's attention. He looked at her again, mocha eyes blinking. _

_ She smiled and Shizuo thought that she wasn't bad looking. "Heiwajima Shizuo means 'peaceful island' and 'quiet hero', right?" she didn't look as if she was making fun of him. "My name means 'beautiful harmony' and 'gentle breeze'. Let's get along, okay?"_

* * *

In retrospect, it wasn't that unusual of a story. They had met in the second year of middle school, became friends, became _more_ than friends, started dating, then mutually broke up. They remained good friends but since they went to different high schools, they had drifted apart. Frankly, Shizuo had forgotten that he even still had her number up until now.

She hadn't changed much either. She was still the bossy, big sisterly type with a heart of gold and the temperament of a saint. She still walked as if she were strutting down a fashion runway… or maybe now that was because Shizuo had much longer legs and she was trying to keep up. Her face was a little older, possibly having seen some rough times, but her smile was as cheerful as ever. The way she talked, in contrary to her name, was like a windstorm as usual. She would jump around from topic to topic and chatter about frivolous things and Shizuo would have probably hit her a long time ago if he didn't find it so damn endearing. It was difficult not to love Miwa. Something about her just drew others towards her. Because of that, her popularity had aroused admiration instead of resentment. Back in middle school, Shizuo had perhaps the happiest time of his life because her admirers hadn't whispered about him among themselves in horror… at least not to his face.

"So what are you doing now?" she asked him after she had finished a rant – something about overpriced land. They were holding hands, but Shizuo didn't mind. Even after they broke up they had been comfortable being intimate with each other. Besides, her lap was the best to sleep on.

"A bodyguard for a debt collector," he answered. Miwa chuckled.

"Really? It doesn't seem to suit you," he looked at her in surprise. "Your wants, I mean. You've always wanted a quiet life, but you're chasing down runaways who beg for more time to pay their debts? It doesn't sound like you at all," she looked thoughtful. "I guess it utilizes your strengths in a way though."

Shizuo was contentedly reminded of why he had liked her. She saw past his abnormal strength and fiery temper and saw his true personality, the one which everyone else always seemed to ignore. Except maybe Celty, Tom, and Vorona anyway, but Miwa had been the first.

"What about you? Why have you decided to move back to Ikebukuro?" he asked her. There was a strong, chilly wind and Miwa shivered – small wonder, since she was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts. Shizuo let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her, letting her snuggle in to his side and his warmth and they kept walking like that. "Should have dressed warmer. It's late fall, you know."

"I've been living in Nara. Leave me alone," she grumbled playfully. "Anyway, I opened up a café around here."

"Bakery and all?" Shizuo asked, remembering that another reason he had liked her was because she was exceptionally talented in making sweets. Shizuo had been her primary taste-tester because a) he loved sweet things to an obsession and b) he somehow didn't gain weight no matter how many sweets he ate. It was something which Miwa had joked that she was jealous of.

Ah, yes.

Weight was always a joke with Miwa because like Shizuo, her body had been born without a certain limit. However, while Shizuo was born without the limit of strength, Miwa was born without the ability to lose weight.

She had explained this to him once and his brain had practically caught on fire while trying to wrap his mind around it. She only gained weight, she had patiently said for the fifth time, and couldn't lose it. Why, she wasn't sure, but because she kept fit at the same time, her body remained thin. The weight, with nowhere to go, simply stayed in her body and compacted inside itself. It was like have an elephant and trying to stuff itself in a mouse hole. So each cell in her body grew denser as she grew older, and like Shizuo, she had suffered the consequences.

She had told him horrible bloody stories about how when she was five years old, weird swells appeared all over her body like blisters and then burst, how it continued until she was around ten years old when her body finally found a way to compact the weight and shove it down. Now the only problem she had to worry about was that she was never allowed to go on second floors or above; recently she had tried to take the elevator and the cable had snapped, plunging her to the basement floor. Luckily she had been the only one in the elevator and the fall was short. The first floor was all that she could go on, and even that was risky because these days there were sewage tunnels and subways underground.

There was another thing about her being naturally heavy; her body, like Shizuo's, had been forced to become more resilient so that it could actually move around. So while she didn't have abnormal strength, she was able to take a blow or become an anchor. There was this awful memory of Shizuo finally losing his temper with her and he had thrown a park bench at her. She had merely stood there and the bench had broken on contact from the combination of her density and the force that Shizuo had thrown it with. Fortunately that wasn't the reason for their break-up.

Lost in thought, Shizuo almost had his arm wrenched out of his socket as Miwa stopped suddenly, jerking his limb back with her. Grunting in pain, he looked up to see where they were.

In front of them stood a pretty, two story building with an attractive mixture of red brick and sandstone. There were many large glass windows, revealing tables and chairs inside. The whole thing looked so out of place compared to the rest of the city that Shizuo had to blink a few times before he could fully register it.

It was surrounded by a white picket gate with a white iron archway covered with green vines. He guessed that they were supposed to be morning glories, just not in season. Inside of the gate were several tables, the type that you would see in an Italian café, with matching chairs. There were a lot of annual flowers, adding brilliant colors to the scenery. Above the double mahogany doors hung a very neatly painted sign, written in flowing English cursive: _Angels' Delicacies_.

"Nice name."

"Thanks!"

She didn't bother asking him if he wanted to take a look inside. She dragged him in, using her weight as an advantage. In actuality, with Shizuo's strength, he could have just dug his feet in to the ground and resisted, but he was curious about this store and decided to let her have her way.

The inside was just as nice and peaceful as the outside. The floor was polished wood up until behind the counter which was marble instead. The tables and chairs in here matched the ones outside, and each table had a little vase of flowers topping it. There was – and Shizuo nearly drooled – a giant cake display case that had everything from pastries to puddings. The counter had barstool seating, and a grand piano sat quietly in the corner, ready to be played.

There were also people here, who had stopped their work to quickly bow or wave in Miwa's direction before continuing their actions. There was a – was he a teenager? – with golden hair, darker than Shizuo's, and exotic features, including green eyes. He was tall, if not taller than Shizuo, but he moved around elegantly, sweeping the floor, as if his size didn't matter to him. There was another teenager, this one a girl, wiping down the tables. She was wearing – Shizuo's eyebrows shot up in shock – a gothic Lolita outfit maid-style, though she was thankfully wearing normal make-up. There was a clanking noise from behind a door with a circular window which Shizuo guessed was the kitchen.

"This your staff?"

"Yep. They're good kids, so don't worry," she patted him on the arm, comfortingly because he had a rather insecure look on his face. Shizuo had always been the protective sort, and something about these two (three, if he counted the unseen one in the kitchen, he supposed) that sent goosebumps up his spine. They weren't Izaya-goosebumps. They were more like… hm? What was it again?

"Hey! Come over here and introduce yourselves," Miwa was calling towards them. "That means you too in the kitchen, Yamikage!"

"_Yamikage_? As in 'darkness shadow'?"

"Shhh, don't make fun of it in front of him. It suits him but he's not happy about it."

The other two had obediently come over right away, but the one in the kitchen seemed to be hesitating, judging from the silence and yet lack of appearance. Miwa called for him again.

This time, Yamikage timidly opened the door and stepped out. Shizuo had to suppress the bizarre desire to suddenly laugh. He couldn't help it. Miwa wasn't kidding when she said his name suited him.

In front of them stood the gloomiest man Shizuo had ever seen, and he had seen a lot in his job. The man was of average height, maybe a little taller than Miwa, and he was _dark_. He had long, shaggy, black hair with black eyes. His skin was incredibly pale so that the contrast made him look like some sort of ancient vampire. Even though he wore a chef's outfit, nothing dark or occult looking, he still had this heavy air around him that threatened to suffocate others. It wasn't a dangerous aura or anything like that, it was just… _depressing_.

"So here's the whole crew," Miwa said cheerily, completely immune to the emo vibes coming off of her employee. "That's Yamikage – he actually hates his first name, so I'll leave it at that. He's our patisserie. This is Carsten Fleischer. Before you ask, Carsten is his first name. He's half-German. And our little lovely lady over here in that horrific outfit is Taina. Nobody can pronounce her last name so I won't bother. She's a Russian-born Japanese."

All three bowed to Shizuo and he gave a hasty bow back. Straightening, he realized that he _really_ needed a smoke.

"Do you have an ashtray?"

"What, you picked up smoking?" Miwa said in clear disapproval. "… We have a smoking section in the back in the basement. Go ahead. Taina, make sure he doesn't get lost."

Shizuo merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. Taina looked up at him and he automatically stepped back as he realized that her eyes were a clear shade of violet.

"They're contact lenses," she said, correctly interpreting the look on his face.

"Oh," he grunted.

Taina led him towards the stone steps to the basement. Shizuo whistled appreciatively as he looked around. The whole basement floor had been used to become a tavern. Lanterns hung from hooks on stone pillars which formed archways. An entire wall was dedicated to a wine shelf. There were various tables, both sitting and standing types, scattered throughout the room. The room had a very relaxing ambience. The basement seemed to be larger than the upper floor.

Taina tugged on his arm to make him follow her. He did and felt that the silence was a little awkward. Scratching his head, he said the first thing which came to his mind.

"So… what's your last name?"

"Shchegolyayev."

"Are all Russians named crazy names like that?"

"Get down on your knees and apologize to all Russians this instant."

She said this with the flicker of a smile on her face so Shizuo knew that she wasn't pissed off. The awkwardness had lessened but it was still there. He tried to make another stab at conversation.

"Why don't you smile more?"

"I tend to get in trouble when I smile."

"What?"

Taina opened her mouth to explain before she noticed where they were. "Oh. Here's the no smoking section," she gestured to what Shizuo looked like a giant specimen cage, glass walls and all. There were vents all along the top, so at least he knew he wouldn't suffocate in there.

"Enjoy your stay," she smiled at him and it was a friendly smile. Shizuo felt a little better as he entered what he had already dubbed 'the cage'.

Little did he know that soon upstairs, all hell would break loose.

* * *

Next Chapter: Enter Izaya

I don't know if Mikado and the rest know who Chrome is. They do, right? Mairu, Kururi, those two martial artists, and a few others know, but does anyone else? Dotachin for example?

Anyways, I hope you liked it. The ending was a little abrupt, but oh well.


	2. Enter Izaya

Thank you to all people who bothered to read this story. I'm glad that it at least got some notice.

Who else wishes that they would start translating the manga again? I'm not fluent in Chinese so it's a pain to read ^^'

* * *

Orihara Izaya typed away on his computer, humming softly. The data was coming along well. _Eros_, the new alias in their chatroom, had intrigued him for two reasons: it had sounded familiar, and one could not enter the chatroom he had formed without getting permission from other members. In other words, Eros, whoever he or she was, had hacked in to the system. _How troubling_, he had thought gleefully.

Namie shuffled through some of the paperwork on his desk. "What are you grinning like a moron about?" she asked bluntly. Izaya smiled condescendingly to her.

"I'm merely enjoying humans as usual, Namie-san," he said sweetly, his fingers not ceasing on the keyboard. The ex-pharmacist stared at him for a moment before turning away, apparently losing interest.

Izaya curled his lips in a crooked smirk as he clicked on a file and various articles flashed onscreen. "Eros, hm…" he scanned several of the article and his face alit with malice. "What an interesting newcomer we have."

He got up and grabbed his usual fur coat from the back of his desk chair. "Well then," he murmured, sliding his arms in to the sleeves. "Shall I go take a look?"

...

...

...

So that was why he was now standing on the top of a six-story building overlooking the newly built _Angels' Delicacies_. He had to admit that it was a pretty cute store. It would probably attract lots of couples, middle school girls, and high school girls. Peering through his binoculars, he could just make out someone standing behind a window, cleaning a table. He saw a flash of gold. Blond hair? Was it a foreigner?

He was contemplating whether or not to become the store's first customer when he spotted a very familiar silhouette coming down the street. He quickly put the binoculars up again and saw his least favorite being on earth.

Hang on. Was that… a _woman_?

It was. _The _Heiwajima Shizuo currently had his arm wrapped around a woman, who seemed quite content to snuggle in to his side. They stopped in front of the café and Izaya blinked as Shizuo was suddenly jerked back. But the woman hadn't done anything to cause him to make such a violent motion. He pondered on this for a moment before dismissing it as unimportant. Maybe Shizu-chan had just gotten caught off guard or something. This woman wasn't Izaya; Shizuo would actually let his guard down around her.

Especially since he seemed to enjoy hugging her so much.

He watched as the bodyguard was dragged in to the store and then tried to look through the windows again. Of course from that distance he couldn't make anything out.

What if he took a chance? Worst case scenario he would be crushed under the piano he could briefly see thanks to a passing cloud. Best case scenario? He would agitate Shizu-chan, get the _Angels' Delicacies_ destroyed, and discover the truth about Eros all in one fell swoop. What a foolish person, he contemplated, to keep the same penname all these years, even with all of the weight that came with it.

Or no… maybe that was the intention.

Well, whatever it was, Izaya would have fun dissecting the truth piece by piece. He loved humans after all, all of their strange quirks included.

...

...

...

The bell tinkled as the door swung open. The woman he had seen with Shizuo earlier looked up and beamed at Izaya as he entered the room. "Welcome!" she said warmly. Her outfit was one of a professional barista: a white button-up shirt with three-quarter sleeves underneath a black half-vest, as well as matching, loose black trousers. It would have looked similar to Shizuo's uniform had it not been for the long black apron also wrapped around her waist. There were two others in the room. The foreign one, the one Izaya had seen through the window, was wearing the proper uniform but the other… was that a Lolita dress?

"Would you like a table, sir?" the first woman asked him. Her dark brown hair – it looked as if it had been dyed – deep gray eyes, and pouty lips gave her the first impression of a pessimistic person but her face practically glowed when she smiled. Izaya vaguely remembered a quote about a woman's best make-up was her smile. With this one, he could believe it.

Izaya allowed her to lead him to a table – one near a window so that the sunlight streamed in – and accepted the menu she handed him.

"You happen to be our first customer, sir," she said in the same warm voice. "As a reward you may choose anything for half-price."

"Thank you," Izaya said, pretending to skim the extensive list of pastries, coffees, and other such goodies. "Isn't it unusual to have a menu for a pastry café?"

"We think that it's best if each customer can have time to choose their dish without arousing the impatience of others," Miwa's smile twisted slightly, as if remembering something annoying. It was gone as quickly as it came and she dipped her head slightly to examine the menu herself. "May I recommend the Mille-Feuille, or perhaps a choux pastry? We also have savory breads and other things for people who are not fond of sweets."

Izaya settled on coffee. "A Green Eye, please."

"Yes sir," she said cheerfully, taking back the menu and making her way to the counter. Izaya scanned the rest of the floor and realized that Shizuo wasn't there. He frowned. Now where could that monster have gone?

"Something wrong, sir?"

Izaya looked up, and then looked even more up as he stared up in to emerald green eyes. The foreign man towered over him and would have looked quite intimidating had it not been for his childish facial expression.

"Nothing at all," Izaya smiled at him. The foreigner's face relaxed and he strode away.

_Hmm… what interesting people_, Izaya thought. He propped his chin up on his hand and stared idly at the Lolita girl. What on earth had made her decide to wear that to work? It wasn't revealing or kinky, but it gave her the image of a surly goth girl ready to lash out. Only her face, with light make-up gave way to her true personality. She seemed to be the type of person who had gone through rough times since childhood, but came through strong.

And what of the foreigner? Let's see… a bit rebellious, easily worried, and possibly slightly paranoid. However, he also seemed to be the puppy dog sort… no, more like a baby duck, always following its mother. Izaya chuckled at the idea.

The first woman came back with his coffee. She set it down before him and smiled again with closed eyes. Izaya had to admire her for her dedication; each smile was true and genuine. It wasn't the usual smile-because-I-have-to smile that most workers had.

"Excuse me, sir, may I have your name?"

"My name?"

"We try to remember the face and name of the customers in case they become regulars."

Ah. A typical tactic to gain loyal consumers. Although… this sort of trick was normally used by bartenders and hosts. This thought caused Izaya to think of Shizuo as a host and he had to suppress a high-pitched laugh.

"Well, in that case… my name is Kaito Shion," he lied, deciding that it might be handier to keep a false name around here. Then again, she would probably hear about his reputation sometime, especially if she was acquainted with Shizuo. But until then, maybe he could make use of her…

"Please do not lie."

"Eh?" Izaya snapped out of it and stared up at her. Suddenly a strange chill ran down his spine.

He knew perfectly well why he had suddenly felt that chill. It wasn't because she knew that he was lying (though he _was_ rather impressed), but because her expression hadn't changed at all. Her smile was still warm and genuine as if she didn't care that he had just blatantly lied to her face. No… she really _didn't_ care. Then her eyes opened and another shudder went down his spine.

Her gray eyes were extraordinary – dull in color and yet filled with light. They looked at him and Izaya felt as if he was being swallowed. Her gaze was observant, so alike with his own and yet so different. While his own eyes pried people apart and examined their weaknesses to see what uses they could have, her gaze took in everything, whether they be strengths or weaknesses, and – was it possible? – _understood_ them. It was a gaze which made him feel as he was trapped under a microscope.

He tried to cover up his confusion with a chuckle. "I apologize. I don't feel comfortable giving out my name to places where they may be used for different purposes."

He watched her face and there was the tiniest flicker on her smiling face. "I see! Don't worry about that, sir. We only want our customer's satisfaction."

_Interesting. She has enough sense when to let things go. Quite a bit of tact for such a young woman, _Izaya thought. The informant thought for a while before deciding to tell the truth. Why not? As he had realized before, she would learn who he was eventually.

"My name is Orihara Izaya."

There was a brief moment of silence, but that smile that Izaya was starting to detest never melted off her face. "I see," she said again. "From the Biblical name 'Isaiah'?"

He nodded. The woman's smile finally left her face as she tilted her face and stared at him, her expression surprisingly serious. Then a smaller smile played on her lips and she laughed softly.

"Ah, so that's how it is. Your name suits you very well."

Izaya quirked an eyebrow at that. Again, he wondered just how much she could know in a glance. Inwardly, he smirked. It seemed something worthwhile to try out.

He leaned forward and was about to once more engage her in conversation when a very familiar roar suddenly sounded from underneath his feet.

"III-ZAAAA-YAAAAAA!"

Said informant looked down at the floor. _Oh,_ he thought a bit stupidly from surprise. _So there's where Shizu-chan went_.

...

...

...

Shizuo had _just_ finished his cigarette and stepped out of 'the cage' when a very familiar scent assaulted his nose. Twitching it, he growled angrily. He knew that smell. It always brought trouble along with it. It was faint, but he could definitely tell that it was coming from upstairs.

The usual red curtain pulled over his eyes and he felt his hackles rise automatically. Grabbing the nearest table, he stomped up the steps, roaring out the name of the person he hated the most.

"III-ZAAAA-YAAAAAA!" he bellowed. He reached the first floor quickly and saw Izaya sitting there with a cup of coffee and a mildly amused expression.

Relatively calmer, he growled out, "Iii-zaa-yaa-kuuun. Why don't you ever learn your lesson and FUCKING STAY OUT OF IKEBUKURO?" the last part was accompanied by the lifting of the table over his head. He didn't even notice Miwa's presence until she made herself forcefully known by suddenly stuffing something sweet in to his mouth.

It was soft and flaky and _delicious_. Chewing it, melted chocolate oozed out of its center and spread its way over his palate. There were chopped almonds too, which had probably been the topping.

Anger diminishing, Shizuo lowered the table and looked at Miwa. "What the hell?" he grunted roughly. Miwa had her hands on her hips and her gray eyes were stormy.

"You," she said, jabbing him in the side, "are _not_ going to wreck my store which just opened today. If you want to kill him, do it _outside_ and do _not_ do it with one of my specially imported tables!" she turned towards Izaya with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. You don't have to pay, but could you get outside before he decides to destroy everything here?"

Izaya could only stare. It was the first time that he had seen Shizuo calm down so fast. And all it took was a chocolate-filled croissant with chopped nuts sprinkled on top.

Shizuo let go of the remaining dredges of his anger and gingerly set the table down. "Sorry," he muttered unhappily, shooting the brunette across the room a particularly venomous glare. "I just want to kill him every time I see him."

"Don't worry, Shizu-chan, the feeling's mutual," the informant called lazily, taking a sip of his espresso. Even half-cold it was still delectable. "This is very good coffee, miss."

"Oh, my name is Miwa Nagi," she introduced herself easily, despite Shizuo's warning gestures. "Just call me Nagi."

"Hmm…" Izaya hummed. "Well then, Nacchan," he watched as his mortal enemy clearly started to get pissed off again at this impudent nickname, "I'll come back here for more then," and he quickly skipped out of the café.

"NEVER COME BACK, YOU FUCKING FLEA!" Shizuo roared, about to heft up the table again when Miwa grabbed it and used her immense weight to hold it down. Deprived of his weapon and not willing to lose time prying it away, Shizuo charged out after the informant and grabbed the nearest signpost to chase him with. Miwa watched and shook her head as her ex-boyfriend ran out of her sight, swinging the signpost as if it were a butterfly net.

"Heiwajima-san is really strong," Taina remarked. She was unbelievably calm, considering what she had just witnessed. Carsten had the correct reaction of letting his jaw drop till it practically unhinged.

"Did he do that even when you dated?" he asked faintly, as if wondering how Miwa could possibly still be alive.

"Less frequently, but it happened sometimes," Miwa said offhandedly, still checking the table for scratches or telltale marks. Noticing the finger imprints along the edge, she sighed. "Geez! He really never changes…"

Carsten stepped forward to take the table. "I'll go throw it in the dumpster out back," he offered, but Miwa shook her head and turned to take it back to the basement.

"Don't worry about it. Just because it's taken a couple knocks doesn't mean that it's not functional. It was the same with you guys," she said briskly and disappeared down the steps.

Carsten and Taina looked at each other and smiled, albeit a bit sadly. Yamikage, who had stuck his head out of the kitchen door to see what the hubbub was about, also smiled privately to himself. Then all three of them silently went back to their stations and got back to work.

...

...

...

Carefully setting the table back where it came from, Miwa sighed and seated herself on the floor. She couldn't sit in a chair without it crumpling underneath her. She absentmindedly played with her earring, twirling it around her finger, when she remembered that she was supposed to be working and got up with a soft grunt. Checking the rest of the basement to check if it was still presentable, she wandered in to the smoking section and coughed slightly. Even if it was only a little, she _hated_ the scent of smoke.

It held too many painful memories.

Exiting 'the cage', she pondered over her first customer. He was a very handsome man, she thought, with such a pretty face. His hair was perfectly messy and his reddish-brown eyes and smile showed a lot of charm. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that he was a playboy.

But she _did_ know better. She had already guessed his real name before he had said it. No one _didn't_ know who Orihara Izaya was, especially in Miwa's previous line of work.

"But I didn't know that Shizuo-kun felt so strongly towards him," she said aloud. Thinking seriously, she thought of the connection between the two. To see 'connections', there was only one person to consult.

"Taina?" she called, heading back up the stairs. "Could you do something for me?"

* * *

Next Chapter: Couple Invasion

Next chapter, almost all the couples of Durarara! will be in. Including Izaya and Shizuo, of course.


	3. Couples Invasion

This chapter was fairly long compared to my other ones. 13 pages... though double spaced, LOL. Still, I think it's the longest chapter so far.

Thank you again, to all viewers and favorite-ers.

* * *

A trashcan came flying at him next. Then a vending machine. Then a mailbox. Just when he thought Shizuo had run out of ammo, several stop signs came flying at him like javelins.

He dodged them all and ducked in to an alleyway so that he could hide. Shizuo, of course, followed him and caught sight of him rapidly shimmying his way up a fire escape. Snarling, he didn't even bother with the ladder and merely used his superhuman strength to jump. He overtook half of the ladder this way and could just barely reach Izaya. He _would_ have reached him had Izaya suddenly not lashed out and slammed his foot right on Shizuo's face.

It didn't hurt as much as it would have a normal person, but the impact shattered his sunglasses and he quickly shut his eyes before the fragments got in. He shook his head like a dog and let all of the glass fall off of his face. When he opened his eyes again, Izaya was gone.

Cursing, he let go of the ladder and landed neatly on the ground. To vent his feelings, he kicked a trash can and it flew far, far away. He then stomped away angrily, still cursing under his breath.

...

...

...

Izaya watched him go from where he was hiding on the rooftop above. He shook his head gleefully as he watched the bodyguard go. It was just so, so easy to trick Shizu-chan. All he had to do was get out of the blonde's sight and most of the time he was home free.

But what was this feeling of unease? Since he had started scaling the building, he felt that someone other than Shizu-chan had been watching him. Scanning his surroundings, he almost missed the girl in the Lolita outfit staring up at him.

Note: almost.

What was she doing here? The girl was staring at him and then staring at Shizuo, who was leaning against a wall two buildings down and trying to calm himself by smoking. Izaya would have thought that perhaps she had become fascinated by their battle… but no, her expression was one of intense concentration. Her brows were furrowed and her violet eyes (_probably contacts_, Izaya correctly assumed) darted back and forth. It looked as if she was straining to see something that wasn't there.

Then suddenly she turned around and walked away. Izaya watched her go, feeling more confused than ever. And he didn't _like_ feeling confused.

Resolving to discover the mystery and the identity of _Eros_, he set back for his office in Shinjuku. He had work to do.

...

...

...

Miwa looked up as her employee returned. "So? How was it?" she questioned. Her expression was caught in between being grave and biting back a smile.

"It's there," Taina confirmed. Carsten's head shot up.

"It _is_?" he asked incredulously. "Between _those_ two?"

"Why not?" Miwa gently rebuked him. "It's always been there, so why not roll with it?"

Carsten made a face. "Do we have to help them?"

"Yes, we do. That's the point of this store. Now stop scowling. It ruins your pretty face," Miwa rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her brain whirling with tricks and schemes. She couldn't help but smile. "This is nice. I wanted to do something for Shizuo-kun while we were stationed here. I can finally repay the favor that he did for me so many years ago."

"What… favor?"

Carsten and Taina jumped. Yamikage had come from behind them as silently as a wraith. Both of them yelped the same thing at the same time. "HE TALKED!"

"Of course he talks. Stop being so surprised every time," Miwa scolded them lightly. Turning back to her patisserie, she replied, "It's nothing much. Just… he gave me something that I've always wanted."

All three of her workers tilted their heads in confusion. Somehow they reminded Miwa of a flock of baby birds and she laughed. Clapping her hands together, she said cheerfully, "Alright! So Operation Cupid's Arrow is set! Considering how much those two hate each other, it should be fun to play around with~"

She bustled away, rubbing her hands and murmuring quietly to herself in excitement. Yamikage had slunk away back towards the kitchens. Taina and Carsten stared at each other.

"… I keep forgetting that Manager has a nasty personality when it comes to this stuff…"

"… I wonder if those two will be alright after she's done with them?"

Shaking their heads, they followed Miwa towards the back to hear whatever plans she may have already made.

...

...

...

**-EROS HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM-**

**-CHROME HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM-**

**Eros: Oh? What a coincidence, Chrome-san!**

**Chrome: Hiiii! *sparkles* How was your first day in Ikebukuro?**

**Eros: It was fun! I ran in to a couple old acquaintances. It's amazing how much some people just don't change. **

**-SETTON HAS ENTERED THE CHATROOM-**

**Eros: Good evening, Setton-san~**

**Setton: You seem to be in a good mood. What's going on?**

**Eros: Nothing much. I was just telling Chrome-san about my day. What about you? Did anything interesting happen today?**

**Setton: Not much. I just worked all day. It's hectic going so many places.**

**Eros: Going so many places? Are you a courier, Setton-san?**

**Setton: Of sorts, yes. **

**Eros: Oh, how convenient. Perhaps we will meet sometime. I have need of a courier every once in a while. **

**Setton: I'd be glad to do business with you. Let's meet up sometime.**

**Chrome: EHHHH? Don't leave Chrome-chan out! =3=**

**Eros: Haha! Sorry, Chrome-san!**

**Chrome: Mou! You're all meanies! I'm leaving!**

**-CHROME HAS LEFT THE CHATROOM-**

**Eros: I think I'll be going as well, Setton-san. Have a good night.**

**Setton: Good night.**

**-EROS HAS LEFT THE CHATROOM-**

...

...

...

The next morning, Celty was just about to get up and go out to work – she had three deliveries to make today, so hectic – when Shinra grabbed her from behind in a hug. If she was able to, she would have yelped. Instead she did what came to her naturally: she punched him.

"Whoa!" Shinra yelped in surprise as he quickly dodged. "Haha! You missed that time, my love – YEOWCH!" he doubled over as Celty followed up with a right hook to the stomach.

Grabbing her PDA, she swiftly typed out what she wanted to complain. **"I have work today. Stop interfering!"**

"But there's this new café that just recently opened up!" complained Shinra. "I wanted us to go together!"

**"And? What am _I_ supposed to do there?"**

"Accompany me, of course!"

**"I'm going to work, Shinra."**

"NOOOO! Celty, my darling, don't leave me!"

And Shinra blubbered and wailed so pitifully that Celty finally gave up in annoyance. **"Fine. I'll go. But I can't even eat or drink anything, so what's the point?"**

"I heard rumors about that shop! Apparently this isn't the first one they've set up," Shinra prattled on. "They always set up shops overseas too! And for some reason, everyone who goes there has a 100% success rate at love! With me and Celty going, that's 200%!"

**"… Where did you even hear this from?"**

"Izaya-kun."

Celty inwardly groaned. Of course, it just _had_ to do something with him.

...

...

...

Mairu and Kururi were walking to school together as usual when Mairu's phone went off. She pulled it from her pocket to read the new text message.

"It's from Iza-nii!" she said in mild surprise. Their brother had always avoided calling them if possible.

**New café in town. Why don't you go check it out? I heard that Hanejima Yuuhei will be appearing there too.**

Mairu squealed. "Yuuhei-san will be there? Let's go, Kuru-nee, let's go!"

"Shizuo-san… too…?" ("Will Shizuo-san be there if his brother is there?")

"Maybe! But don't worry, Kuru-nee, we'll see Yuuhei-san anyway!" Mairu said determinedly. "Maybe we can catch him and take pictures with him!"

"… Yes…" ("Okay. Good idea.")

...

...

...

Ruri peered over Kasuka's shoulder as he read the text message. "How odd…" he murmured. "I wonder when he got my number?"

"What are you looking at, Yuuhei-san?"

"Orihara-san sent me a text message talking about this new café in town," Kasuka tapped his chin thoughtfully. "… Ruri-san, would you like to go together?"

"Eh?"

"I heard that it's a wonderful dating spot for couples… and it's been a while since we could have time to ourselves."

Hijiribe Ruri was once more reminded of how much she loved Heiwajima Kasuka.

...

...

...

"Seiji-saaaan!" Mika sang out, throwing herself on her boyfriend. Seiji caught her with a grunt and frowned in puzzlement at her.

"What?"

"There's a new café that's opened up which is perfect for couples! Can't we go together? PLEAAAASE?" she begged cutely, making sure to tilt her head in a way so that the scars on her neck would be more visible. Seiji stared at her for a moment before shrugging.

"Sure, why not?"

...

...

...

Mikado stared at his phone in disbelief, unsure whether or not to take this as a joke. Izaya-san was very strange sometimes…

"Mikado-kun…" came a timid voice from behind. He turned around to see Anri standing there, her cellphone also in hand. "Did you see… oh, you also received it?"

Mikado nodded wordlessly as he stared back down at the text message on his screen.

**Mikado-kun, there's a new café called _Angels' Delicacies_. I heard that it was quite a hotspot for couples in the last town it was in. Why don't you take Anri-chan there on a date?**

The idea of following Izaya's 'friendly advice' seemed absurd. He could just hear Kida yelling at him in his brain, _"Don't go along with it! It's a trap!"_ but… the idea of going with Anri on a d-d-date was just too tempting.

He flicked his eyes at her, a red blush making heady way on his face. "I-I don't suppose you would…"

"Mikado-kun, would you like to go to _Angels' Delicacies _with me?"

Mikado shut his mouth and stared at her before squeaking out, "Y-Yes."

Anri smiled as a little blush made way on to her cheeks as well.

...

...

...

Miwa hummed as she cleaned the windows, quite excited for her next full day of work. Yesterday, after Shizuo and Izaya had left, they had quite a couple customers come in and comment on how good their pastries were. There were no bar customers yet but maybe they'd get some tonight. The floorboards creaked as she walked on them and she frowned. Perhaps it would be best if she just stayed in the basement to work… she would hate to put a hole in her newly polished floor.

Just as she was contemplating on whether or not to become a full-fledged bartender, a couple walked through the door. A young, slightly scrawny boy with dark hair and an ordinary face came in, nervously holding the door open for a quiet-looking girl with shoulder-length hair and sizable breasts. They both wore school uniforms which Miwa recognized to be from Raira Academy. Taina overtook them and she saw the boy do a double-take when he realized what the Japanese Russian was wearing. Shaking her head, Miwa reminded herself to reprimand her later.

The moment they sat down, another couple entered. This one Miwa recognized with a start.

"Kasuka-kun!"

"Nagi-neesan?"

Miwa had to stop herself from skipping over to him (she really _would_ have put a hole in the floor otherwise) and gave him a hug. "Long time no see! How are you? And you are Hijiribe Ruri, his girlfriend, right? I'm a fan of yours too!"

Ruri looked a little bewildered at this rapid-fire way of talking and merely said, "… Thank you very much."

"Nagi-neesan, have you met with Nii-san already?"

"Mm-hm! He came in yesterday. He hasn't changed at all, but that's okay. He wouldn't be Shizuo-kun any other way," she gestured behind her. "Where would you like to sit?"

Kasuka chose a table next to a window and close to the piano. They both ordered a hot coffee before eating anything and Miwa looked up as third couple walked in.

She blinked at these two because… well, anyone would be surprised to see a doctor on a date with a biker chick. The doctor was chatting frivolously away and the biker chick – the doctor called her "Celty my honey" – communicated by typing on her PDA. Carsten went to attend to them and she saw the doctor give him a firm pat on the arms. Then he seemed to ask something strange because Carsten turned slightly pale and the doctor's date whacked him unmercifully on the head.

Carsten turned to the lady and offered to take her helmet – for whatever reason she hadn't removed it – but she declined. Miwa absentmindedly wondered if she had a bad case of helmet hair, when the doctor suddenly spotted Kasuka across the room.

"Kasuka-kun!" the doctor called out, dragging his girlfriend with him. Kasuka looked up and both he and Ruri acted with surprise but familiarity.

"Kishitani-san."

"Kishitani-sensei."

Kishitani? Miwa tilted her head. The name sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe Shizuo had mentioned him to her before… well, as long as it wasn't a crazed stalker fan, then it was fine. Shizuo would probably lose his temper at her again if she let something happen to his precious little brother.

_Ding-a-ling!_ went the front door bell. "Welcome!" she called automatically, taking a look at the fourth couple of the day. A tall, serious looking youth and a rather frolicsome looking girl hanging on his arm entered the shop. Like the doctor – Kishitani-san – the girl was chatting away, but her date didn't seem to mind. Actually, his eyes looked rather glazed over as she talked. Miwa frowned at this. A guy should pay attention to his girl. Then she looked at the girl and realized that she knew and didn't care. _Quite a couple_, she thought with a wry smile. _They remind me of myself and Shizuo-kun._

"Anri-chan!" the girl suddenly cried out and she waved to the first couple, at the girl with glasses and dark hair. "Are you on a lovey-dovey date too?"

The girl – Anri – and her companion blushed horribly. The frolicsome girl threw her head back and laughed. Miwa saw deep scars on her neck and wondered what they were from. The serious youth was looking at them and his eyes softened slightly. They sat themselves down next to Anri and her friend and practically made it a double date.

Taina and Carsten reported back to her and Miwa observed each couple, taking in their characteristics and traits, carefully filing away all of the information in the back of her head for future reference.

Couple #1: Ryuugamine Mikado and Sonohara Anri. Both were students from Raira Academy and they seemed to be on the borderline of 'friends' and 'more than friends'. The boy definitely liked her, though the girl was a little more difficult to discern. Miwa observed a strange shadow behind Anri's eyes and wondered privately if it was the indication of a secret.

Couple #2: Heiwajima Kasuka, a.k.a. Hanejima Yuuhei and Hijiribe Ruri. Miwa had known Kasuka for a long time since he was the younger brother of her ex-boyfriend. She had remembered that the two of them were often inseparable when they were young. She had heard about Kasuka and Ruri on the news and had wondered how much was true and how much was false. Looking at them, however, she could tell that their feelings were real, and deep. She smiled. Those two would be just fine.

Couple #3: Kishitani Shinra and Celty Sturlson. Kishitani was the doctor and he seemed to be over-the-moon with his girlfriend just sitting there ("Celty, the way you look in a café is just absolutely adorable! Don't you think, Kasuka-kun?"). His girlfriend – a foreigner? – seemed to be the shy tsundere type because she kicked him under the table at almost every compliment. Miwa could tell, by Celty's fidgety body language, that she did truly love him. Looking at Kishitani though, it seemed that he held a lot of secrets… perhaps he was the underground doctor that she had heard so much about in her previous line of work…

Couple #4: Yagiri Seiji and Harima Mika. They made a strange couple because it seemed almost one-sided on _both _of their parts. Mika seemed to love Seiji obsessively, while Seiji never looked at her in the eyes, just at her scars. Their love seemed to be fake, but how could it be fake if it seemed so real? Mika probably truly loved Seiji, but the look in Seiji's eyes made it seem that he saw Mika as a replacement for something or someone.

She finished memorizing all of the information and was just contemplating on what she should do to help when a pair of twins skipped through the door. Miwa glanced at them and then blinked. They looked like someone she knew… Orihara Izaya?

"Iza-nii said that Yuuhei-san would definitely be here!"

Yep, definitely Izaya-san. She observed the two of them. One had glasses and long hair tied in to braids, while the other had short hair and seemed to be very quiet. This assumption was confirmed when she only spoke three words that seemed to have a magnitude of meanings.

"There… Hijiribe Ruri…" ("He's over there with Hijiribe Ruri.")

"Ah! Good job, Kuru-nee! Let's go catch him!"

_Catch?_ Miwa pondered. Then she saw the identical maniacal looks in their eyes and quickly went to intervene. "SURPRISE!" she half-shouted, grabbing them by the backs of their collars and quickly dragging them away. The one with braids gave a yelp of surprise and then attempted – this was very impressive – a bicycle kick. It connected soundly with Miwa's face but she didn't even notice and kept going. The way she shrugged off the blow surprised the twins enough to make them stop struggling.

When they were a sizable distance away from Kasuka, she let them go and they looked at her with mirror expressions of curiosity. They were very cute girls but… something about them felt a bit off. Miwa tilted her head and realized that they had the same ambience as all the other people in here.

A couple…

… Well, she had seen and assisted with incest before, so she supposed it was okay. Free love for all, right?

"Would you mind not disturbing the other customers in the store?" she asked politely. "Even if he is a movie star, capturing Kasuka-kun isn't a good idea. You'll probably make the headlines, you know?"

The twins looked at each other then back at her. "You know his real name, lady?"

"Hmm? Well, his brother and I are acquainted, so…"

"Ahh! Us too, us too! We know Shizuo-san too!" the one with glasses said happily. "I'm Orihara Mairu, and this is my big sister Kururi-nee! It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm Miwa Nagi," Miwa introduced herself. "Orihara? Then you're Orihara Izaya-san's younger sisters, right?"

"Nii-san… know…?" ("Do you know our Nii-san?")

"I met him yesterday when he came here. It's a shame that he didn't bring his two cute little sisters along," Miwa said charmingly. She wasn't lying; she really did think it was a pity. All plans that she had for Shizuo and Izaya now had to be rewritten because she hadn't known about these two. She _hated_ that.

Fortunately these two were not their brother and couldn't read that from her expression.

"Hehe… Miwa-san, can't we go take pictures with Yuuhei-san now? We're really huge fans of him!" Mairu said enthusiastically. She whipped out a digital camera, seemingly from nowhere, and waved it around. "We even stole Nii-san's special high definition camera for the occasion!"

"Um… Well, if you ask politely, I suppose it's okay," Miwa pressed her finger to her chin thoughtfully. Inside, her devious mind was brewing.

_Well… why not make use of them now?_ a smile crept to her lips.

"But in return… why don't you tell me a little about your brother?"

...

...

...

Shizuo was making his way back towards _Angels' Delicacies_ to apologize to Miwa for having left so abruptly and – he hated to admit this – violently. He should explain to her why Izaya was such a flea bastard and come up with a reason to make her sit on him the next time she saw him. Miwa sitting on Izaya… a grim smile spread on his face. She would _crush_ him, like the bug he was.

Right when he was just outside the door, he spotted an all too familiar face in the window. Or, more accurately, face_s_.

_Kasuka…? And… holy shit! Mairu and Kururi?_

Dashing in, he prepared himself to grab the twins by the collar when he stopped and realized that… Miwa was with them. It looked as if she were gently clasping their shoulders, but Shizuo could see how she carefully focused some of her immense weight forward and more on to her hands, effectively pinning the twins in place as they politely asked his younger brother for an autograph and a photo. Kasuka – had he met them before? He wasn't sure – was diligently signing two pieces of autograph and handing it to them respectively. Both girls giggled happily and blushed slightly. Shizuo had definitely never seen that side of them before. He didn't have time to think anything else before Kasuka had spotted him and his face lit up. Well, at least Shizuo _thought_ it lit up. It was hard to tell with Kasuka.

"Aniki," he waved, beckoning him over. Shizuo hesitated, feeling slightly embarrassed because he had just realized that Ruri was also there and now felt bad for crashing in on their date. Ruri, however, gave him a polite smile and he came forward, rubbing the back of his head bashfully.

"Hello again, Shizuo-san," she said to him. She was just as pretty and polite as the last time he had seen her. Which hadn't been since he had agreed to take care of Kasuka's cat. Come to think of it, he had also thought that they were going to get married then too… he wondered how much progress they had made.

He caught Miwa's eye and took the hint. Taking Mairu and Kururi from her grasp, he smiled graciously at his brother's girlfriend. "Sorry for the interruption. I'll take these guys away," he said graciously before manhandling them away. Miwa followed, chuckling quietly. Kasuka merely looked amused.

The moment they were out of earshot and sight, he released the twins and frowned at them. "You didn't do anything weird to him, did you?" he growled. Mairu and Kururi both shook their head, still rapturously clasping the autographs to their breasts. Shizuo gave them a long hard look and sighed. Well, they were quiet for once so he supposed it was alright.

"As usual, you're a surprisingly good actor," Miwa grinned. "That talent runs in the family. Shame that you beat up the talent scout that came for you, but Kasuka-kun was scouted because of it so I guess something good came out of that after all."

"Why the hell do you know about it?" he grumbled, unsure of whether to take it as a compliment or not. Miwa laughed.

"Kasuka-kun told me. We've kept in touch for a quite a while. Longer than you bothered to, anyway."

"You didn't either…" Shizuo trailed off.

"I know, it's partially my fault," Miwa shrugged, nonchalantly accepting her wrongdoing. "Part of it was because I had to move around quite a bit due to work."

"Work? You run a café. What work makes you have to move over and over?"

"In my previous line of work… well, this café has actually moved around a lot too. We opened it up in different locations each time. Last time was in Nara. Now it's here, since I missed my hometown," she grinned cheekily at him. "And you, of course."

Shizuo grunted. He seriously doubted that, but he let it go.

"There are a lot of couples here…" he was about to say, when suddenly a well-known scent wafted past his nose. "Shit. He's here."

"What?"

"I'm going to go outside for a bit."

"Wait… Shizuo-kun?" she called after him as he exited the shop. Right in front of him stood his most hated enemy. The flea stood there in his fake fur coat and smirked at him, looking as if he knew something Shizuo didn't.

As a matter of fact, he _did_ know something that Shizuo didn't.

"What's wrong, Shizu-chan?" he taunted. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Don't fuck around, you little bastard," Shizuo snarled. He took a quick glance around and noticed the café's menu chalkboard… well, that was something easy to replace, wasn't it?

Grabbing it, he flung it towards his high school classmate with a roar. Izaya dodged it and flung knife at him, which he caught in between his teeth and easily snapped in two. Charging forward, he tried to punch Izaya in the gut but the flea danced nimbly out of his reach and laughed that annoyingly high-pitched laugh.

"So close, but so far, Shizu-chan," the brunette mocked him. "I guess this is the best a brute like you can do, though."

"Shut the fuck up, flea!" Shizuo growled angrily, searching for another weapon to use. He had just picked up a flowerpot when someone cracked a broom across the back of his head.

Yelping, he clutched the spot in pain, whirling around to see who had stopped him. Carsten stood there, staring at the broken broom handle with a frown. "Damn," he muttered. "Manager is going to fry my ass over this."

Realizing that he had caught Shizuo's attention, he frowned at the older man, green eyes stern, and shook his finger. "No destroying anything on our premises, Heiwajima-san. Also, Manager says that you need to pay for that chalkboard."

Izaya watched, perplexed. First Miwa Nagi, and now this foreigner? And why was Shizuo even listening to him? By now he would have lost his temper and punched the guy halfway to oblivion.

Or… would he have? Izaya realized that this was the first time that someone other than Simon had gotten in the blonde's way. And they weren't stopping him by using only brute force like the Russian man had done, but also with a lecture (and in Miwa's case, a croissant). Was this really all it took to calm him down? It was so simple, so peaceful, so… _human_. It was like Shizuo was a grade school kid caught by his teachers.

Shizuo, a human? The idea was so disgusting that it made him want to puke. As if Shizuo could even hope to belong to the category of his precious humans. He belonged in the category of monsters, perhaps as the equivalent of the Frankenstein monster. A creature which desired to be human, but in the end was still a monster (and died in the freezing cold of the north seas, but Izaya hadn't quite figured out how to get him there yet).

Shizuo grudgingly listened to Carsten ranting at him before finally turning around, only to have Izaya gone again. In frustration, he threw the flowerpot at the ground, ignoring the flying fragments as it exploded on contact, and stomped angrily into the store.

...

...

...

Miwa took one look at him before grabbing his arm and dragging him down to the basement. She pushed him into a chair and sat down at the ground in front of him. "Okay," she sighed, laying her head on his lap. She used to do this to calm him down when they were in middle school. "_Now_ what happened?"

"Fucking flea got away again," he muttered angrily, digging around his pockets for a smoke. He felt a light tap on his thigh and saw Miwa's warning eyes. Reluctant, he gave up his search and settled for combing his fingers through the young woman's hair. She closed her eyes, lazily enjoying the sensation.

"Why are you so adamant about him anyway?" Miwa murmured quietly, letting her tone go soft and sweet. Shizuo absentmindedly scratched his head with his free hand. Already the swelling on the wound inflicted by Carsten was fading.

"Why…?"

Miwa let her voice go softer, more sultry, more mesmerizing. The lighting seemed to dim. "Tell me everything. I heard a lot about Orihara-san from Mairu-chan and Kururi-chan… but I haven't heard your side of the story yet."

Shizuo felt his tense muscles relax and his body sag. Something in Miwa's tone was particularly soothing, and it made him feel at ease. Even though it was low, it reverberated from the walls and seemed to echo throughout the basement. "Hated the fucking flea since I first met him," he mumbled. "Shinra – I saw him upstairs with Celty – introduced us. He went to elementary school with me and to middle school with Izaya. He thought that it'd be some sort of great joke to introduce the two of us… ha! That stupid idiot. Come to think of it, he's the reason I have to use violence all the time…"

Miwa stayed quiet, but she nuzzled Shizuo's thighs subtly to make him continue. Shizuo continued talking, unsure of why he was suddenly saying so much.

"First time I saw that bastard, something just pissed me off. I don't even know what it was; maybe his cocky face or this smug air he had… whatever it was, I tried to throw something heavy at him to wipe that grin off his face. Then that bastard pulled out a blade on me. That was when my body wasn't as developed so I still have the scar on my chest. Fucking hurt too.

"Since then, he's just been pestering me. Sending gangs after me, getting me fired from all my jobs… hell, he even tried to kill me personally sometimes. Do you know how many times that guy's gotten me hit by a truck? I fucking hate him…!"

Shizuo started to feel oddly drowsy. Miwa seemed to be absentmindedly tracing patterns in her mind on his legs. The sensation was slightly ticklish, but that was strange. He wasn't ticklish…

"Now he keeps coming to Ikebukuro just to mess with me. Shitty bastard won't let me rest… Now every time something weird happens in Ikebukuro, it's usually his doings…" his eyes began to slide shut. He tried to shake himself awake but it felt as if his body had completely melded with the chair. "I'll kill him… even if it's the last thing I do… I'll kill him…!"

His head fell forwards and he began to snore softly. Miwa rose from her sitting position and stretched her back. "Mm," she murmured. "Guess because it's Shizuo-kun that the hypnotism took longer than expected…" she yawned. "Uh oh, it affected me too. Maybe I should redo the basement lighting…"

There was a soft clattering noise from behind her and she turned to see a hidden door, crafted over with stone, swing open and Yamikage step out. His black shaggy hair fell over his face, obscuring it from view. "Did it work?"

"You made the hypnotism too strong in here!" Miwa complained, still rubbing her eyes childishly. "The lighting and the echoes almost made me put myself to sleep too!"

"Sorry…"

"Geez, don't apologize all the time. You make me sound like a bad person," she reached out to give her patisserie a one-armed hug. "Now let's do this quickly. We've got customers upstairs!"

Yamikage nodded and moved in front of Shizuo. He took a pocket watch from the inside of his shirt and opened it. A surprisingly loud _ticktock_ noise sounded from it. It was steady and rhythmic, never missing a beat. Miwa's eyes slowly slid closed before she snapped them open and shook her head.

"I need to get out of here," she muttered, turning to exit through the hidden door. "Put a blanket on him when you're done."

Yamikage merely nodded, carefully counting out the beats before he spoke softly. His voice had the same mesmerizing tones at Miwa's earlier. "Can you hear my voice?"

"Yeah…" Shizuo mumbled in his sleep, rolling his head back on his neck.

Yamikage matched his words with the rhythm of the pocket watch. "The next time you see Orihara Izaya, he may act strange towards you. When this happens, and _only_ when this happens, you will notice it. Your anger will dissolve and you will question him. Understand?"

"Yeah…" Shizuo muttered again before lapsing back in to soft snoring. Yamikage quietly closed his pocket watch and went behind the bar to find a blanket. He covered the ex-bartender in it and left through the hidden door, leaving Shizuo alone in the basement.

...

...

...

Miwa was in the kitchen, splashing her face with cold water to wake herself up, when a hidden panel next to the pantry slid open and Yamikage stepped out. "It's done," he said softly. He used a hair tie to tie his hair in a messy ponytail – though his bangs still covered his face – then promptly resumed icing cupcakes. Miwa slapped him on the back.

"Good man," she said happily. Yamikage winced. Her strength may have been mediocre but her hand was as hard as a rock.

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked her. Miwa turned off the faucet and smiled.

"What do you think?" she said, her smile turning a little more wicked. Yamikage sighed.

"Manager… you are actually a very nasty person…"

"Yamikage… do you want to go outside and serve tables for a bit? We've got quite a few people out there."

"…! I'm very sorry! Please don't send me out there!"

Miwa laughed. "I was just kidding! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work," she said and promptly flounced out.

Yamikage sweat-dropped. _I don't think she was kidding…_

* * *

Next Chapter: Planting a Seed of Doubt

Next up, Miwa and Izaya face each other in a battle of wits. Of course, it's Izaya. That sort of thing will never go smoothly...


	4. Planting a Seed of Doubt

**Lame Xcuse:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad that you love this story. I hope it'll go on for a while, so please remain a faithful reader till the end! Would you like an extra oneshot as a present? Just tell me any details~

Aaaand, the fourth chapter is here! It took me a while to actually sort it out because a mix of ideas were in my head... well, I hope it's interesting, though~

* * *

Izaya watched from the safety of a rooftop as Shizuo stomped back in to the store. The employee who had stopped him – his sources said that his name was Carsten – watched him go, then dropped the broken broom and followed. Then everything was quiet and Izaya no longer felt the tingling of adrenaline that had always come with Shizuo after him. That was how he knew that it was safe to go back down to the ground.

He pondered a bit on his next move. Should he go back and try to get more information, or should he go home and work out what he already had? His purpose of sending so many couples – one famous, one normal, and two who seemed strange – in to the shop was to test Miwa Nagi's composure. How would she handle seeing so many different types of people at once? Izaya was pleasantly surprised to find out how Miwa and her employees had serviced them. If she was surprised by Celty's helmet or Harima Mika's scars, she didn't show it. Her employees had also taken everything into stride.

Then his sisters had entered the picture and he had to admit that he was impressed at how she had handled them. He had sent them there to stir up trouble and they had _tried_. Then Miwa had intervened and it was a very clean job.

So what had he learned from this? Miwa Nagi seemed like a rational, down-to-earth woman with a perfect poker face and the ability to take things as they came. She had a special air around her that made people trust her and had enough charisma to make others listen to her. In short, she seemed to be perfect, one of those girls that fangirls wrote about in their stories.

Bullshit.

Izaya smirked a bit at this thought. The reason he loved human beings so much were because they were _imperfect_. They fought, they cried, they ripped up others people's lives to make their own better. They also fumbled, made mistakes, and felt helpless. But not Miwa.

He wondered if that meant Miwa was yet another monster to add in Ikebukuro.

Deciding that his curiosity could only be sated by another talk with Miwa, he used the fire escape to get back down on to the ground. Remembering that his sisters were there as well, he let out a soft sigh. Well… some things required sacrifice.

...

...

...

"Manager," called Taina from the front window. "That man is coming back again."

"Orihara Izaya-san?"

"Yes."

"Oh," Miwa turned from where she was serving Sonohara Anri and Ryuugamie Mikado their tea. At the name, both of the teens seemed to freeze in place. "What's the matter? Do you two know him?"

They both nodded wordlessly. Miwa looked at them and took in the look in their eyes, the way they clenched their hands in their lap, the slight biting on the lips.

_Hmm…_ Miwa thought. _With that sort of reaction, it seems that these two aren't ordinary kids after all_. The thought made her smile on the inside. Ikebukuro was just as interesting as ever.

The bell _dinged_ and Miwa turned to welcome Izaya with a simpering smile as if she hadn't known that he was about to walk in. "Welcome! Oh, Orihara-san, back already?"

"Yes – " Izaya began to say before he was suddenly tackled around the middle by his two little twin terrors.

"Iza-nii!" Mairu squealed happily. "Thank you so, so much for the tip! Look, look! Yuuhei-san gave us his autograph!"

"Nii-san… treat…" ("We'll also treat Nii-san to some sort of treat later on in thanks.")

"This is the first time I can honestly say that I love Iza-nii!" Mairu said, giving her older brother an impish grin. "But we'll still laugh when Shizuo-san kills you! Let's go frame the autographs, Kuru-nee! Thanks again, Iza-nii!" and to Izaya's immense surprise, both twins stretched up to kiss his respective cheeks before dashing out in excitement. He turned to stare after them, his expression clearly perplexed.

Miwa had to suppress a snort of laughter. It was the first time that she had ever seen Orihara Izaya with a truly humane expression. Though admittedly she had only known him for about a day and a half.

Izaya turned back to her, confusion gone and he smiled charmingly. "Didn't I say that I liked it here, Nacchan? Ah, yes, there are also quite a few people who I know here as well," his eyes glided over the ordinary couple several meters away from him, his secretary's object of affection and his own object of affection, his hated enemy's younger brother and his girlfriend, and of course his middle and high school classmate along with the second monster of Ikebukuro. He knew them all indeed.

"Is that so?" she smiled again. It was that same uber-genuine smile which still pissed Izaya off, though he was careful not to show it. "Then would you like to sit with any of them?"

"Ah, no. It seems that they're all on dates and it feels dreadful to be the third wheel. I'll take a single seat, and another Green Eye. You really do make wonderful coffee."

"Thank you very much," Miwa said briskly, guiding him to a table near a window. She was careful to seat him at least four tables away from everyone else, he noticed. But that was okay with him, he was far away enough to not be included and yet close enough to observe his beloved humans.

… He wondered if she had already caught on to this preference.

"Say," he said, after he had seated himself and she had just turned around to go, "I heard that you were Shizu-chan's girlfriend in middle school?" he asked as casually as he could. _That_ information hadn't been hard to procure. Tanaka Tom was willing to spill quite a bit of information to a couple, choicely paid strangers when drunk. "I heard that you had quite a thing going on before you mutually broke up."

Miwa's smile slipped off her face only to be replaced by a slightly sadder one. Izaya watched the change with interest. "Ah, yeah, well…" she paused. "But…"

"But?"

She looked a little embarrassed. "To call it mutual… well, that is what we told everyone."

Izaya's interest peaked. Oh-ho, so was this something he could blackmail his least favorite monster with later? He wondered how much juicy detail he could squeeze out of her before she became suspicious.

"Really? What happened?" he made himself sound genuinely concerned. Miwa raised her eyebrows at him.

"Forgive me for saying this, Orihara-san, but Shizuo-kun has already told me about your… relationship, so to speak. I'm surprised that you would care."

Ah, so Shizu-chan had already spilled the beans? That was quick.

"Even enemies can care about each other," Izaya smiled at her. She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

"That's true."

Izaya blinked. The informant had meant to be sarcastic. But even though it had shown clearly on his face, Miwa, with all of her observational skills, hadn't noticed. Or she had ignored it. Thinking about it, he was pretty sure it was the latter.

Miwa looked thoughtful for a bit more before suddenly speaking again. "Orihara-san, I'll go make your coffee and come back. There's something I want to talk to you about."

Izaya watched her go, seeing the way she furrowed her brow as if thinking about something long and hard. He pondered on what she was going to say to him. As much as he wanted information, he wasn't sure if he wanted a confession or a life story. Feeling a bit hot – a ray of sun was shining directly on him from the window – he took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair.

She came back as promised, carrying his cup of coffee and a mug of green tea for herself. He sipped his gratefully, thankful for the adrenaline rush. It tasted the same as before; rich, bittersweet, and lots of care. It was amazing, how much you could tell about a person from their homemade food and beverages.

Miwa stood sipping her tea before placing it on the table. Izaya vaguely wondered why she didn't sit down. She looked at him before finally asking, "What do you really think of Shizuo-kun?"

Well, that was unexpected.

Well, no, it really wasn't. Perhaps she was worried about how her precious 'Shizuo-kun' was doing without her. Did she still have feelings for him? How disgusting; a human having feelings for a monster like Shizu-chan…

"Exactly what do you want me to say?" Izaya asked her in return, trying to divulge whatever meaning she had in mind.

"Well… you don't actually hate him, do you?"

That was more like a sock in a gut than anything.

Of _course_ he hated Heiwajima Shizuo! And how dare she suggest otherwise!

Hang on… she wasn't a BL fan like Karisawa, was she? That would explain a lot…

"I _do_ hate him. I wish that protozoan wouldn't even exist," he said sweetly with a wicked smile. He sipped daintily at his coffee and wondered if she would take the hint. She didn't.

"Liar."

She was definitely a lot bolder than when they first met.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Miwa went down on to her knees and laid her head on the table, looking at the male brunette. Her hands lightly rested on the edge. "Shizuo-kun told me about how you two met. He said that he hated you on sight. Was it the same for you?"

"Mmm, well," Izaya smirked at the memory. "Perhaps not quite at first sight. But when I saw him beat up a gang with a goalpost, I did."

"Why?"

"Because what human is able to do that? I love humans more than anything. But that ridiculous Neanderthal can't be called human. He's a monster. And monsters should be wiped off the face of this earth. They don't belong in the same realm as my lovely humans."

She eyed him shrewdly. "You said 'my lovely humans', not 'my fellow lovely humans'. Why is _that_?"

"Hmm, well~" he drawled out the words. "I'd rather not classify myself as a human, I suppose you could say. I'd rather be an onlooker, who watches over humans in all their glory."

"In short, you don't consider yourself human."

"When did I ever say that?"

"It's written all over your face," Miwa's face had taken on an unfamiliar condescending expression. "You don't consider Shizuo-kun to be human, but Orihara-san doesn't consider himself to be human either. Your hypocrisy amazes me."

"What's your point?"

"Shizuo-kun was born with an unnatural ability. Like me," Izaya raised an eyebrow but kept quiet and let her continue. "But unlike me, Shizuo-kun's ability was to give him untapped potential in strength. I don't know if you know this, but this is because Shizuo-kun was born without the natural limiter of the human body."

Know it? Shinra wouldn't shut up about it. Of course he knew about it.

"In other words, Shizuo-kun has access to the full potential of the human body," Miwa continued. "Which means… despite what you think, Shizuo-kun is the more human than anyone else on the planet."

Izaya froze, his hand clasping his cup of coffee tightening its grip. Something about that sentence struck a chord within him, something painful. He laughed, however, because he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

"How funny! Shizuo-kun, the most human? Nacchan, you say interesting things," he smiled at her. Miwa, with her perception, could see that the smile was forced and full of a pain unknown to Izaya himself. "But why do you say that? Shizu-chan can't be human. He doesn't act like one. All he does is result to brute force when things don't go his way."

"And what about you?" Miwa shot straight back at him. "You don't act like a human either. You don't even want to be one. The reason you hate Shizuo-kun is because he never does what you think he'll do. He won't lay over and play dead when you tell him to. Don't look at me like that – I know all about you, Orihara Izaya of Shinjuku. Just because he's different from all humans you've encountered doesn't mean that he isn't human himself. His unpredictability is also what makes him more human than anything else, since humans are supposed to be wells of untapped possibilities. You're actually afraid of humans and what they're capable of, aren't you?"

Izaya had been listening to her entire speech but the last question made him bristle like an angry cat. He slammed down his cup, attracting the stares of his fellow customers, and leaned in close to her, speaking frostily and lowly into her ear.

"Humans are like my pawns, Nacchan. I love them because they are so fun to play with. It's not my fault that Shizu-chan constantly sees the need to cheat and break the rules," he hissed. "And besides, it's not like Shizu-chan is the only odd human I've met. Shinra over there is one as well."

Miwa seemed to have been waiting for this piece of information and promptly pounced. "Then why do you consider him a 'friend', and not Shizuo-kun? What makes Shizuo-kun so special to you?"

Izaya opened his mouth only to close it. For the first time in his life, he found himself unable to answer a question.

Shinra and Shizuo… sure, they were both oddballs in society, but they weren't anything alike. Shinra was a goofy underground doctor with an everlasting amount of love for his precious Celty. Shizuo was a hot-tempered bodyguard with a brother complex and abnormal abilities. There were no similarities, so of course he and Shizuo couldn't be 'friends'.

But why was it that Miwa's words had seemed to find a hidden spot inside him which felt painful every time it was pressed? Why did he suddenly feel an uncomfortable lump at the back of his throat that seemed to get in the way when he swallowed? He couldn't answer this question, and it frustrated him.

"Hey," Miwa said softly. Her voice turned low, sultry, and mesmerizing once more. "Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"

Something deep inside Izaya's mind seemed to break. What sort of… Of course he… _How dare she_…

Miwa sensed the sudden change in demeanor and took it as her cue of a job well done. She got back up to her feet and took her mug of tea with her, her last words seeming to trail through the air.

"Just think about it for a while, and maybe you'll understand. Oh, and thanks for calling so many customers here. We'll be a popular business in no time."

Izaya sat there, staring at the remaining dredges of his coffee, and realized that also for the first time in his life, he had been beaten in a debate.

… As if he would just take this. Getting up, he grabbed his jacket and roughly yanked it on, a million schemes and insidious plots running through his head. His childish, selfish side emerged once more and had only a single thought in mind.

Revenge!

...

...

...

Soon after Izaya had left the café, Miwa had tiptoed downstairs to the basement and gently shaken Shizuo awake. He came back to reality with a startled grunt and rubbed his eyes like a kid. "Wuz goin' on?" he mumbled incoherently. Miwa smiled softly and, to his sleepy surprise, pressed a kiss to his forehead. Blinking again, he muttered. "M'dreamin?"

"Nah," Miwa stroked his hair, her eyes gentle. "I'm just a little sad, I think."

"… It was Izaya, wasn't it?"

"What?"

"I can smell him on you," now fully awake, Shizuo stood from his chair and cracked his knuckles. "What did he do to you? I'll kill him…!"

"No killing!" Miwa whacked him on the head. Shizuo grunted. "Killing is a no-no!"

"… 'No-no'?" the blonde repeated, now looking amused.

Miwa blushed and shoved him. "Oh shut up," she whispered. Shizuo laughed. He patted her on the head and grinned. "Well, if he isn't here anymore than I guess I don't really care. Hey, could I have another croissant? That last one you gave me was great."

"Ah, yeah, sure…"

They chatted on their way up. Kasuka called his brother over and he sat down, a little bashfully, with him and Ruri. Miwa brought him a plate full of sweet dessert breads. She watched him talk peacefully with his brother and his possible future sister-in-law. Her smile was still sad.

_Sorry, Shizuo-kun, but… for your own sake, this peace can't last too long._

Mentally apologizing for all that she was going to do to him, she pushed her insecurities out of her mind and got back to work.

...

...

...

Izaya typed furiously away on his computer. Namie watched, looking slightly surprised. She had never seen Izaya this pissed off before. Or at least she had never seen him so openly showing it.

"You're looking up this Miwa Nagi woman a lot now," she commented. "Did you get dumped by her or something?"

"What?" Izaya's typing slowed before letting out a high-pitched laugh. "Aw, Namie-san, are you worried about me? But don't worry, it's nothing like that. Although this woman did annoy me and now should be put in her proper place."

So basically Izaya's pride had been ripped to shreds again. How childish.

Namie resumed her work. Izaya went back to mashing his keyboard. His reddish eyes skimmed article after article which came up. He pursed his lips together, a little surprised at the contents. It seemed that _Angels' Delicacies_ had even been in Germany, Russia, and Korea. It wasn't a chain restaurant, it had always been a single café in whatever country it was and, despite its popularity, would eventually uproot itself in a year and move somewhere else. He clicked on a file and up popped several different versions of _Angels' Delicacies_. Of course each building looked different from each other and the one he currently knew, but he still found some similarities between them. The sign advertising the name was always the same, there were always flowers out in the front, and it was always a building with two floors and a basement. Izaya figured that the second floor was probably for employee residences.

Maybe… if he broke in he could find something to use against her…

He contemplated about making Kida Masaomi break in for him. He and his girlfriend Saki could… no, perhaps not. Kida had been particularly hostile towards him lately. Even at the risk of himself he may let something slip. Then who could he call on…

Sighing, he realized that this would be a job that he would have to do himself.

...

...

...

"What?" Miwa paused to stare at him, wondering if she had heard correctly. "You want to stay here for the night?"

"Yeah," Shizuo affirmed with a nod. "Truth is my air conditioner broke yesterday. I could sleep downstairs in the basement if that's okay…"

"Shizuo-kun, sweetie, _I_ sleep in the basement, remember?" Miwa sighed. "Well, it's okay. We have a few guest bedrooms upstairs. You can just go and take your pick. Just remember to shower first. We have plenty extra of towels and toothbrushes. Carsten, lend him some of your clothes."

"Yes ma'am," Carsten gave her a lazy salute. He motioned to Shizuo to follow him around to the back. "The stairs are back here, Heiwajima-san."

Shizuo followed Carsten up the almost hidden winding staircase (so that wasn't a janitor's closet… huh, who knew?) and he found himself in a long hallway. Blinking, he looked in both directions, noticing how big the place seemed.

"… Hey, why does the second floor seem larger than the first floor?"

"What? … It's just your imagination."

Even Shizuo caught the slight hesitancy, but he shrugged it off. He had never been on to pry, after all. Carsten led the way to one of the multiple doors lining the hall and opened it. Inside was a simply furnished bedroom with a single twin bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a comfortable recliner in the corner, and another door which led to…

"Ah, that's the bathroom."

_Whoa. Private bathroom?_

"I'll be back with some clothes. Go take a shower, Heiwajima-san."

He left and Shizuo began to strip off his clothes, careful to not put a single rip in to his precious bartender uniform. Once bare, he took a look inside the bathroom and whistled appreciatively. It was more Western styled than Eastern, but that didn't stop him from admiring the fancy glass shower and the large bathtub. Opting for a shower he stepped in to the cubicle and turned on the water, jumping slightly at the shock of cold water which washed over him.

There were even miniature soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. Shizuo snorted. Apparently Miwa was trying to run a hotel on the side business. Actually, it wouldn't surprise her if that was the case. She had always been an overachiever.

He heard someone knocking on the door and heard Carsten's voice over the sound of water. "Heiwajima-san! I'm leaving the clothes here! And Miwa-san bought you underwear at the convenience store!" Shizuo did a double-take at that.

Turning off the water, he grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed it through his hair. He noticed that the color was becoming a bit dull and wondered if he needed to dye it again soon. He went back in to the bedroom and checked the clothes that Carsten had left out; a plain white t-shirt, and black knee-length shorts. The underwear – Shizuo frowned and reminded himself to flick Miwa on the forehead later – was pink with red hearts dotting it. He pulled them on anyway.

Another knock on the door. This time it was Taina. "Heiwajima-san, Manager wants you to meet her in her bedroom downstairs. She says to bring a hairdryer with you."

Shizuo paused. Where was he supposed to…

"The hairdryer is under the bathroom sink."

Oh.

… How did she do that?

...

...

...

Miwa, seated on her bed and facing away from the door, heard the creaking of floorboards behind her and turned to see Shizuo frowning at her. "Why the heck is your bedroom behind a hidden door?" he asked, his eyes roving. It was sort of like the room Miwa had back in middle school: light green walls, pastel colored furniture, a lot of stuffed plushies (some of which creeped him out because they always looked as if they were staring at him). It was like another case of déjà vu.

"We've got a couple hidden doors down here," she replied cheerfully, holding her hand out for the hairdryer. He handed it to her and she motioned for him to sit down in front of her. He complied and she plugged in the hairdryer and started to dry his hair. "We haven't done this since middle school~"

"As long as you don't try to give me pigtails again, I don't really care," Shizuo replied absently. It felt nice to let someone pamper him for once. Miwa giggled at a buried memory of Shizuo's eye twitching when she had given him a makeover. He had tried _so_ hard to hold on to his temper… although the next day she had heard about a hot dog stand getting destroyed…

"Even though it's only two days, you've been coming here a lot," she commented, dragging a brush through his hair. She contemplated on making the hair flips outwards like a Dolly Parton style, but she decided against it. "What about your work?"

"Tom-san heard that you were back in town so he gave me the week off," Shizuo snorted. Tom had had a strangely leery face when they had talked.

Miwa paused in her work. "… He doesn't think that we're still… well, you know, an _item_, does he?"

"He probably does," Shizuo snorted. "Tom-san kept nagging us to get back together even after he graduated, remember?"

"Yeah, I do… I got calls nonstop. That was annoying," her hands paused again and Shizuo tilted his head back to look up at her questioningly. "Um… Shizuo-kun? It's a bit late to ask this, but are you still angry?"

"… Angry over what?"

"Over the talk we had during our break-up," Miwa made her voice sound hesitant. "We told everyone that it was a mutual break-up, but… well, it was sort of mutual, but in the end we still argued and got angry, and…"

Shizuo pinched her leg and she yelped in pain. He patted the spot, soothing the wound. "Stop talking about it or you're going to piss me off," he reprimanded her. "And I'm already over it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really really?"

"Really really."

"… Really really really really really really – "

"What did I say about pissing me off, you troll?"

"Don't call your ex-girlfriend a troll!"

They talked a bit more, argued, laughed, and when Shizuo finally decided to go to bed, it was two in the morning and Miwa's head was starting to nod every time she talked. She whined a bit about him leaving, but he forcefully tucked her in (at this she had giggled so hard that she almost fell off the bed) and went back upstairs to sleep.

At least… that was what he had planned.

...

...

...

It was child's play to break in, though Izaya had to admit that he didn't think a café would be carefully guarded. He had come through an open window on the second floor, his parkour allowing him to have easy movement. He glanced around. The lamp was off so it was too dark to really see anything, but he could at least tell that it was a bedroom. It didn't look very lived in, but he supposed that it could have been a guest room or something. He sniffed some moisture in the air, however, and realized that someone had taken a shower. Perhaps someone did live here? Maybe the room was just furnished like this when they bought it.

He decided to look around anyway, just to see what was there. He pulled out the nightstand's drawer and felt around. His hand came in contact with a book and he traced the smooth lettering to discover the title. It was a Bible. He snorted. What was this, a hotel?

Deeming it uninteresting, he pushed the drawer back in. He was thinking about examining the bathroom when the door suddenly swung open.

The light from the hallway flooded in and Izaya twitched, instinctively covering his eyes. Peering out from between his fingers, he realized that the silhouette in the threshold was all too familiar.

"… What, staying over your ex-girlfriend's house, Shizu-chan? Are you planning to get back together?"

Shizuo's teeth grit and he ripped the door off of its hinges. "Iiiii-zaaaaa-yaaa-kuuuun…" he snarled lowly. "Why the _fuck_ have you broken into Miwa's house, you shitty flea?"

"Well, she interests me, you see," Izaya drawled. "A woman who managed to fall in love with a monster? I wanted to know if she's the same type of beast as you are."

"Don't you dare insult – "

"And what will you do about it Shizu-chan? Rip up her house? You've already done a good job with that poor door in your hand."

The bodyguard glanced at it as realized what he had just done. "Shit," he grumbled, mentally promising himself to fix it later. He leaned the door against the wall out in the hallway and instead cracked his knuckles. "Well, I can still kill you with my bare hands, Izaya-kuuun."

"Try it, Shizu-chan," Izaya reached for the flickblade in his pocket when…

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did that have to pop up in his mind _now_ of all times?

In his thought process he ended up pausing. There was enough light for Shizuo to see the hesitance on Izaya's face, something that he had never seen before. Strangely, for some reason, his anger immediately dissolved and was replaced by curiosity.

"You alright, flea?"

Izaya froze. Since the light was coming from behind Shizuo, he couldn't see the look on his face, but that tone was one of concern. Since when did Shizuo ever show any concern for him?

"I'm fantastic, Shizu-chan," Izaya said, trying to smooth over his hiccup with bravado. "I'm just wondering how to kill you."

"You're lying again," Shizuo said, surprised by how clearly he could see the nervousness on Izaya's face. How had he never noticed before? He supposed that now his anger – for some strange reason – was gone, he could see the brunette with more clarity than he could before.

How was he able to tell? Wasn't Izaya supposed to have this annoying poker face of a mask and able to hide his emotions? He realized again, that outside of maybe Shinra, Mairu, and Kururi, he was the only other person who knew Izaya best.

This thought almost made him angry again, but somehow the anger just didn't come.

He stepped forward instead, making Izaya automatically back away. The informant grabbed for his flickblade for real this time and lashed out. Shizuo, with all his calmness, merely grabbed Izaya's wrist and squeezed. The brunette let go of the knife with a stifled gasp of pain. Shizuo frowned at him, suddenly wondering if the flea had a fever. Then he wondered where that thought had even come from. It wasn't… _worry_, surely?

The moment Shizuo had grabbed him, Izaya's mind was assaulted with an unending mantra of Miwa's question.

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

Fuck. What the hell had she done to his mind…!?

"Oi, flea, you sick?"

Oh goodness. That stupid protozoan was _not_ sounding anxious, was _not_ suddenly caring, was _not_ reaching out with a hand to press against his forehead…

A surge of adrenaline rushed through him and he ripped his hand away from Shizuo's grasp. "Get away from me, you brute," he snarled. Then he turned for the window and leapt out, not caring that it was the second floor. Shizuo was left there, hand still outstretched, staring after him.

_Did he just… run away?_

Izaya had _always_ run away from Shizuo. He knew that.

_But somehow it felt different this time…_

...

...

...

Miwa, watching the entire scene from the comfort of her room, chuckled. She shut her laptop, smirking. "I knew those hidden cameras would come in handy someday," she hummed to herself, putting the computer down on the floor next to the bed. She rolled over to go to sleep, satisfied with what had been accomplished today.

_Step one has been completed…_

_ Step two may be a bit trickier to handle._

* * *

Next Chapter: Mixed Feelings

Has anyone noticed that Izaya never says things like 'Oh my god' or 'Good god'? He always says 'Goodness'. Maybe it's just because he's an atheist, or, come to think of it, maybe it was because he was in front of Mairu and Kururi at the time.


	5. Mixed Feelings

**so-adorabloodthirsty:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

**Lame Xcuse:** Whoo-hoo, I've gotten myself a regular~ Then here's chapter 5 as you've requested, LOL.

* * *

So he had run away from Shizuo. Okay, that was nothing new. He had always been running away from Shizuo time and time again… it was the natural reaction to run away from a 185 centimeter tall blonde wielding a street sign. It wasn't cowardly, nor was it shameful. It was simply _common sense._

But why had it felt like he had come home with his tail between his legs? Even Namie, who loved to poke fun at him, had taken one look at him and kept her mouth shut. Izaya was in a foul temper. Even masquerading as Chrome online couldn't relieve his bad mood.

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

Izaya slammed his head down onto his desk. Namie merely looked at him and then discreetly moved closer to the first aid kit. Sure enough, when the brunette raised his head, there was a large reddening bruise which looked painful. The secretary sighed and went over to give him a cold pack. He took it, mumbling his thanks, his pressed it to his wound. Namie wondered if she should ask him what was wrong before deciding that as long as it didn't affect her paycheck, she really didn't care.

Izaya scowled as the question repeated again and again in his head. Why couldn't he get the annoying mantra out? What had Miwa Nagi done to the great mind of Orihara Izaya? Now all he could really think about was whether he actually hated the stupid protozoan. Of _course_ he hated him. What kind of stupid question was that?

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

Unable to take it anymore, he stood up. He needed some humans to play with, and fast. Maybe then he'd stop feeling so lousy.

"Namie-san, I'm heading out. You can go home for today if you want," he told the surprised woman before storming out. Namie watched him go, wondering what on earth caused such a change in her workaholic employer.

…

…

…

"You look terrible," was Miwa's morning greeting to the ex-bartender. "What's with you? You look the same as the time when I tricked you into drinking black coffee with chili oil."

Shizuo was seated downstairs in the café, drinking his morning cup of milk. His face was grouchy but contemplative. "That flea broke in last night. I chased him off… well, I didn't mean to chase him off, but he ended up running away."

"Flea? Orihara-san?" Miwa quirked an eyebrow, giving no hint that she actually knew this information.

"Yeah, that flea," Shizuo grumbled. "Something was wrong with him. I don't know what, but something was wrong. I think there was something wrong with me too."

"Why do you say that?" Miwa sat on the ground next to the blonde, then looked down at the floorboards with a frown as they groaned under her. She wondered if she had put on more kilos again.

"I didn't get angry at him last night," Shizuo paused. "No, I did get angry at him, but I didn't _stay_ angry at him. That's never happened before. And then…" Shizuo took a deep breath. "I think… I got _worried_ over him. He was acting so weird that I thought he had a fever or something."

Miwa stifled a snort of laughter. "What's wrong with worrying over him?"

"It's _Izaya_. Why the hell am I worried over a bastard who keeps trying to kill me?"

"Hate and love have a very thin line in between," the café manager said cheerfully, her gray eyes twinkling. "Besides, your normal personality is like a mother hen anyway. You care about other people too much, which is why you chose to distance yourself from them."

"Who are you calling a mother hen?" Shizuo muttered, not denying the last part.

"You tend to worry over everybody. It's okay, you know. It's an admirable trait which also makes you more humane than anyone else," Miwa said with a gentle smile, laying her head in his lap. Shizuo looked down at her, then also smiled and stroked her hair.

"Thanks," he murmured. "When you put it like that, I guess it's okay to worry about that guy a bit," his expression turned thoughtful. "Though I still feel like I want to kill him."

"You can kill him, but you can worry over him too," Miwa grinned. "There are plenty of mortal enemies who hate and respect each at the same time. But then again, I suppose you could call those sorts of persons 'rivals' instead."

"Do you have a person like that?"

"Hmm?" Miwa tilted her head. "… Nah, I don't think I've found that person yet."

"Don't get one. It sucks. That person does anything to make your life miserable," Shizuo advised her, leaning back in his chair. "Damn, I really want a smoke now…"

"You should quit! It's bad for you!"

"I'll quit! Someday…"

"Start right now!"

…

…

…

Upstairs, Carsten quietly tiptoed to Taina's room and knocked. "Taina-san, it's me. Let me in," he whispered softly. The door creaked open by itself. Unperturbed, the half-German walked in and had to blink a couple times to adjust his vision. "Why is your room always so dark? Open the curtains once in a while."

"No way," Taina refused. She was lying belly-down in the middle of her circular bed, rubbing her cheek against black satin sheets. "I like it when it's dark."

"You're not even a goth and you like black this much?"

"You can like black and not be a goth. Plenty of happy-go-lucky people wear black."

"Fine, fine," Carsten sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back until his golden head rested on the small of Taina's back. "So how's Manager's stage two going?"

"I don't know yet," Taina reached over the side of her bed to bring up a sleek black laptop. She opened it and switched it on. "Manager usually keeps things in between herself and Yamikage-san. She doesn't tell us the details until later on," she tilted her head. "You haven't been with us as long, so you wouldn't know, I guess."

Carsten rolled over so that his head traveled up Taina's spine. He kissed the junction of her neck and shoulder and lazily twirled her long blue-black hair between his fingers. "True. I only joined up with you guys a year ago, after Manager gave me a place to stay," still lying down, he wrapped an arm around her waist and snuggled with her. "How long were you with her again?"

"Three," Taina replied, not taking her eyes off her laptop. "Yamikage-san has been with Manager for much longer, but they won't tell me how they met."

"Mmm," Carsten muttered, clearly not paying any attention. He was fingering the zipper to the back of her dress when she finally lost her temper and swatted him.

"Stop that. You're distracting me."

"I'm trying to _be_ a distraction."

"Well it's annoying, so cut it out."

"Whatever you say," he obeyed and laid down next to her like an obedient dog. "So what are you even doing?"

"Manager dropped a mini-tracking device in Izaya-san's coffee the last time he came. He swallowed it, so I'm keeping tabs on him."

"… Is that legal?"

"It's Manager. Almost nothing she does is legal. Do you even know how we got this building?"

"No. How?"

"It's better if you don't know."

Carsten groaned and rolled his eyes. "I hate it when people tell me that," he muttered. Taina, momentarily softening, gave him a light peck on the forehead before getting back to work.

…

…

…

"Hey, Shizuo-kun," Miwa said softly. "That day we broke up…"

"You're bringing that up again?"

"Do you remember what I said to you?"

Shizuo, who in the end was still smoking a cigarette, inhaled slowly. "… Yeah."

* * *

**_"But why?" demanded fifteen-year-old Shizuo. It was around the beginning of their final year in middle school. He and his girlfriend for about a year were on the roof, eating lunch together. "Why do we have to break up?"_**

**_ "The feelings are dying down a little, I think," Miwa replied, nibbling on an eggroll. "We aren't so happy to see each other anymore. Our feelings don't flare up when we're together. It's too comfortable for it to be love," she added, seeing the look of objection on Shizuo's face._**

**_ The blonde stared down at his bento unhappily. He couldn't deny what she said. Their relationship had developed to the point where going out together and kisses were becoming both a routine and a chore. While he was happy with it, he wasn't satisfied. It just… didn't feel right._**

**_ But this was Miwa, the one girl who accepted him despite his superhuman strength and seemed to love him unconditionally. Even that time when he had thrown a park bench at her, she hadn't been angry or put out. She had merely held him in her arms while he cried for the first time in a long while, scared that he had almost hurt another person precious to him. Even if they weren't romantically in love, he wanted to stay by her side, even if he had to force himself._**

**_ "You'll find somebody else," Miwa said gently, trying to lessen the blow. Shizuo gripped his chopsticks and they broke._**

**_"I don't _**want**_ anyone else," he growled, moodily stabbing a piece of fish. "I just want you. I still love you."_**

**_ "You're lying between your teeth and you know it," Miwa replied shortly. For once it seemed that she may have been losing her temper. "Besides, I already knew this day would come anyway."_**

**_ Shizuo's head shot up, mocha eyes flashing in anger. "What do you mean by that?"_**

**_ Miwa's gray eyes stared into his, making him look away. "I already knew…" she said very quietly, "that I'm not the one who will make you happy."_**

_CLANG!_

**_ In a burst of violent temper, Shizuo had leapt up and grabbed one of the poles of the roof's fence. Taking it in both hands, he wrenched it out of its place and held it high above his head. Miwa made no move to stop him. He swung. She still didn't move. _**

**_ The moment the pole slammed down on her head, it bent in half and then snapped. Frozen, Shizuo just realized what he had done out of angry impulsiveness and dropped his half of the pole in shock. "I-I…" his voice quavered. "I'm sorry… I…" he turned to run away but Miwa grabbed him and he couldn't move. _**

**_ "Sit," she commanded him, not even the least bit fazed that her now ex-boyfriend had almost killed her. He immediately complied and sat down next to her. She reached in to her bag beside her and pulled out another bento, handing it to him. He stared at it, then at her._**

**_ "… Did you know that this was going to happen?"_**

**_ "I had an inkling," she replied simply. _**

**_ He took off the cover of the bento and began to eat. Miwa also resumed eating her own food. The day was warm and uneventful, and Shizuo enjoyed it, basking under the sun. For a while he thought that everything was normal, and as it should be. _**

**_ But when she refused to walk home with him, he knew that nothing would be the same anymore._**

* * *

"I can't believe you," Shizuo snorted. "You actually knew that I would almost murder you and you just made another bento in preparation. Seriously, what's with you?"

"I like to think ahead," Miwa shrugged. Shizuo rolled his eyes.

"You sound like the damn flea."

"Orihara-san and I are the same type of person. That's the whole point."

"Point?"

Miwa ignored the question and instead asked her own. "Would you consider me to be your type, Shizuo-kun?"

Shizuo accidentally choked on the smoke and coughed, looking at her in weird way. "My… my type?"

"Sure. All guys have traits that they prefer in a woman, right?" Miwa exaggeratedly batted her eyelashes. "What did you like about me?"

Shizuo gave another awkward cough, unsure of what to say. "Uh… well… I like brunettes…" he trailed off feebly. It was a first to see the ex-bartender so embarrassed without flinging something. If anything, it was pretty cute.

"Go on," she purred, eyelids lowering to half-closed. Miwa knew that this was quite a dangerous game and that she should tread carefully… but damn, she was enjoying this a bit too much. "What else?"

"… I like that you have short hair now," he admitted. "Long hair always seems to get in the way… pale skin… tall so that I don't feel like I could squash you… slender but not skinny… smart… beautiful face… and your eyes."

"My eyes?"

"Yeah. Your eyes analyze things like the flea's do, but in a good way. And gray eyes aren't something you see every day, so I thought they were… you know, cool," he finished lamely. Miwa grinned triumphantly.

"You mean you like uniquely colored eyes, right?"

"Yeah, sure…" Miwa started to laugh and Shizuo slowly got more irritated. "What? I was being honest!"

"I know, I know," she patted his knee and grinned. "But goddamn, this works out even better than I thought."

"What?"

"Nothing~" she trilled, now looking all too happy. Shizuo didn't like that look on her face; it looked as if she were about to sprout demon horns and a tail to match. "By the way, Shizuo-kun, you're also kind of my type."

"WHAT?" Shizuo had taken another sip of milk to calm his nerves and instead ended up spraying it all over the counter top. Miwa made a _tsk-tsk_ noise with her tongue and went to get a sponge to mop it up.

"Well, yeah, you know," she said as she cleaned, "I like strong guys who are able to pick me up because there aren't that many of them. Besides that, there's also gentle, caring, honest to a fault, smarter than he looks, wears his heart on his sleeve, and maybe a little unreliable," she smiled at him and Shizuo's stomach suddenly felt like it was full of butterflies, like it had the first time they kissed, years ago. "I can't help but like guys like you."

Shizuo coughed in to his fist and muttered something incomprehensible.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Do you…" Shizuo hesitated. "Want to get back together?"

There was a long silence before Miwa broke it. "… Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't think my feelings have changed that much since we were together," the bodyguard groped around for things to say. "I mean… yeah, we may not be in love anymore, but I'm happy when I'm with you. And you seem happy with me too. If we started dating again, I think that it'd be okay."

Miwa gave him a long, hard look. "… Haven't I told you before," she asked, her voice uncharacteristically gentle, "that I'm not the one who will make you happy?"

"But you _do_ make me happy," Shizuo pointed out. He thought back to the times when they were dating. Even when their feelings were cooling down, being with her, kissing her, and loving her had made him happy. It made him feel so, so… human.

"Happy because I'm your _friend_, Shizuo-kun," the café owner said firmly. "But I wouldn't make you happy as a lover."

Gloomily, Shizuo had to admit that she was correct. He didn't have as many romantic feelings for her now. She wasn't the most precious woman to him on earth anymore (that spot was unfilled; most precious man went to Kasuka hands down). Now she was an existence similar to Celty: a good female friend who he could talk to when troubled and expect a sympathetic (though sometimes in Miwa's case, devious) ear.

"Besides, can you even get it up with me?"

The question resulted in another fine spray of milk over the counter.

"… Well, that was rude."

…

…

…

Izaya was bored.

Nightclubbing wasn't really his thing. He had just decided to go for a change of pace. The two girls who accompanied him – pretty, big-breasted, and giggly – were trying to pull him on to the dance floor. He refused with a slick smile, saying that he'd rather watch them have fun. One of the girls put her candy-red lips to his ear and whispered that she was willing to have _fun_ afterwards. He brushed her off. He wasn't above giving 'physical' affection to those interested in him, but he would rather overlook his lovely humans, not get intimate with them.

He weaved his way through the dance floor towards the exit. This night had been a bust. Perhaps he should get drunk. No, that was a stupid thought. He hated being out of control. Besides, being drunk came with a splitting headache. No thank you.

… But it couldn't hurt to drink a little, right?

He wandered through the streets of Ikebukuro until he came upon a familiar looking bar. He pushed the door open and made his way inside, shedding his coat along the way. It was a quiet bar, since it was only for drinking, but there were a lot of people. Izaya found his way to the bar seating to sit down. The bartender, a young man not much older than himself, looked up. "May I have your order, sir?"

Izaya mused on it and decided to have something with his favorite fruit. "Apple martini. Use red apples."

"Yes sir," the bartender quickly went to work. Izaya's eyes trailed over the rest of the room while he was waiting, wondering why this bar felt so familiar. Ah, now he remembered. It was because this was the bar that Shizuo had worked at before – "

He resisted the urge to slam his head against to counter, lest he shock the fellow customers and staff. So even when he was trying _not_ to think of the stupid protozoan, he ended up following around his memories of the brute. Great, just great. The informant took a deep breath and massaged his temples. Okay, fine. If he had to think about it, he'd think about it. There was no use putting it off anymore.

So what did he think of Shizu-chan? Obviously he was a stupid monster who lifted up impossibly heavy things like vending machines and uprooted signposts to throw at him. Hell, he was even able to kick around a car like a soccer ball. He wasn't a human. He didn't deserve to be called human. The creature known as Heiwajima Shizuo should just die somewhere. He really, really hated – "

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

The mantra hadn't gone away, so that was probably the wrong answer.

His cocktail arrived and Izaya sipped it, savoring the tangy taste. He contemplated the days of when he had first met Heiwajima Shizuo. As soon as he had first laid eyes on him, he knew that they would never get along. Something in the blonde's mocha colored eyes had set fiery hatred running down his spine. Wasn't that all that there was to it?

_"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_

Apparently not.

He thought harder about his feelings from the time. He had indeed felt fiery hatred at first sight. After all, Shizuo was so unpredictable and unreasonable. One couldn't use common sense with him. All he had felt back then was undeniable dislike.

_… And… maybe a little excitement…_

The revelation startled him. The mantra in his head did not stop but it lowered itself in volume. Was he now on the right track?

He finished his cocktail and requested another. He had indeed felt a bit of excitement when he had first met Shizuo. Here was something inhuman and different, something that he could examine and poke at to see the different reactions. He chuckled a bit. He sounded a bit like Shinra right now.

Only Shinra had no interest in human beings themselves, but when something unusual popped up, the doctor couldn't resist trying to cut them open to examine the insides. It was something which Izaya actually envied, because Shinra was so detached from humans.

Shizuo too, he realized after his fifth cocktail. Shizuo was detached from humans – most of them, anyway – due to his own volition. Perhaps Izaya had helped him along a bit, but Shizuo had decided to not get overly attached to people because he was afraid of hurting them. But Shizuo, though a monster, had humanoid feelings. He also wanted to meet people, even if it was a shallow relationship.

He supposed that he himself was like that too. He was on his seventh cocktail and a pleasant buzzing was starting to sound in his ears. It wasn't as if Orihara Izaya was incapable of feeling lonely. He wasn't like Shizuo who seemed to be a loner by nature. He liked being surrounded by humans and fooling around with them.

But Shizuo had found companions in the end, hadn't he? Tanaka Tom, Miwa Nagi, the Russian assassin Vorona, and even that small girl Akane. Even his two sisters liked Shizuo, though that was really only for his brother. All of them, some originally set on killing the blonde, had instead become entranced by him in one way or another. Izaya scowled. How was it that Shizuo, the beast, had so many people surrounding him, while his own lovely humans couldn't stand him?

By now his head was ringing a little and he slowly got up, reaching in to his pocket to pay the bill. The bartender bowed him out of the shop and he slowly meandered along the streets once more, still concentrating on the problem at hand.

Come to think of it, both Akane and Vorona seemed to like Shizuo. As in 'like like' him. Akane seemed quite affectionate towards him now and Vorona idolized him. Shizuo considered both Akane and Vorona as important people. Shizuo probably considered Akane as his little sister – monstrous as the bodyguard was, he probably didn't go after little girls – and Vorona was his first ever kouhai.

But Shizuo was even willing to ignore Izaya in favor of Vorona. The time where he and the Russian had first met was fresh in his mind, especially since she had tried to kill him. But Shizuo had intervened, ignoring the informant and focused on only calming the woman down, before riding off with her. Izaya remembered the flash of irritation he had felt when the ex-bartender had practically disregarded him. He felt another flash of irritation just thinking about it.

He stumbled and found himself sitting, sprawled against a wall. Resting his cheek on the cool stone, he wondered why he even bothered with Shizuo. Sure, he was an inhumane monster, but wouldn't it have been so much easier to ignore him? Shizuo had proven that he was able to ignore Izaya… the thought made another little stab of irritation in his heart. Why was that?

_Ah…_ Izaya suddenly realized in a moment of drunken clarity. _I see. That's the reason._

_ I have never had a person who paid so much attention to me._

_ My parents were often overseas and Mairu and Kururi find solace in each other, not me. Shinra only has eyes for Celty. Everyone that I have met has someone else that they consider precious to them. My followers don't 'love' me, they only believe in me. Even Namie-san still clings to her younger brother. There was never a person who really gave any thought to me, even though I love humans so much._

_ But Shizu-chan always paid attention to me. Even if it isn't positively, he thinks of me at almost every waking moment in the day…_

Izaya felt his eyes slowly slid shut. His breathing turned steady and even. His mind, still buzzed, slowly stopped working.

_That's why, by Shizu-chan, I… don't want to be ignored…_

His consciousness faded and he fell asleep in the street. The mantra in his mind which had driven him mad slowly quieted and finally petered itself out.

…

…

…

"… Manager looks seriously pissed right now."

"That's because she hadn't counted on Heiwajima-san having such a beautiful kouhai. Now she has to rewrite her plans for a second time."

"Second?"

"The first time was because of Orihara-san's younger sisters. I've also discovered that he has a beautiful secretary working for him."

"… You know, that tracking device is really going to get us in trouble someday."

Taina and Carsten whispered to each other from the safety of the kitchen. Miwa, who was standing next to the table Shizuo was seated at, was inwardly fuming. To her credit, it didn't show at all on her face, but her employees could see the way she clutched at the menu at her side.

"I like her though. It's nice to see another Russian around."

"There are actually a lot of Russians if you look around. Isn't there a restaurant called Russian Sushi somewhere around here?"

Shizuo had gone out to work and then come back with a beautiful foreign woman in tow. With some fast data collection – Carsten didn't know exactly how she managed to do that, and Taina wasn't talking – she learned that the woman's name was Vorona Douglanikov. She was the only daughter of Lingerin Douglanikov and an ex-assassin. Apparently she had quit her old job to be able to stay by Shizuo's side, at least until she learned enough to defeat him (well, that was what the data she gathered said. Looking at them, Miwa couldn't quite believe it).

The two seemed quite close to each other and since it was only the two of them, it seemed like a date. Shizuo introduced the two of them and Miwa had greeted her with all smiles. The way Vorona talked was a bit odd, but Taina had hit Carsten when he pointed that out.

"She's not a local. Leave her alone."

So Miwa had served them and left them alone to sample Yamikage's wonderfully done cakes and had carefully observed them as well. They seemed, well, close.

And she meant really, _really_ close.

It wasn't until Shizuo had a) cut off a piece of his own cake and fed it to her with his own fork and b) wiped away the crumbs and cream from her lip with his finger and then licked it off did Miwa start to worry. She knew that Shizuo was the type who liked human contact because he got so little of it. She also knew that in all actuality that Shizuo was free to love whoever he wanted to love at the time. He seemed quite warm and kind to Vorona and they actually did make an incredibly cute couple…

But somebody shoot her if she was going to let her plans get ruined by an irregular factor!

"… Have you noticed that Manger and Orihara-san are exceedingly similar?"

"Didn't she say that was a key point?"

Shizuo got up to go the cashier and pay when he noticed that uncharacteristically gloomy look on his ex-girlfriend's face. "Miwa? Something the matter?"

"No… not at all," she said drearily. She took the money and paid him back his change and watched as both blondes went out the door. Shizuo was still going to sleep at the café tonight, but he was escorting Vorona home. She sighed. Despite his temper, Shizuo had the qualities of a gentleman. This had been one of the reasons that she liked him.

"Manager," Taina deemed it safe enough to come out of hiding, Carsten right behind her. "What will we do now?"

"I don't know," Miwa rubbed her temples and groaned in frustration. "I'll think of _something_. But right now, I don't know."

…

…

…

"Thank you for the escort. Appreciate. Rest well," Vorona bowed as Shizuo left her, giving her a lazy wave without turning around.

"Don't worry about it. See you tomorrow," Shizuo called back before strolling through the streets. He was contemplating of whether or not to drop by his own place to pick up some clothes and toiletries – the repairmen had said that his air conditioner had to be replaced, not just fixed – before heading back to _Angels' Delicacies_. He had felt bad for borrowing Carsten's clothes. And, he thought with a twitching eyebrow, he'd rather not have to experience Miwa's humiliating choice of underwear again.

A little further down the street he had just made up his mind to go back when he tripped over something.

He caught himself before he went down. However, that didn't stop him from getting slightly pissed off. Whirling around, he looked for whatever had caused him to trip and found it in the form of a long leg.

Wait. What?

It was a leg, alright. Long, slender, and clothed in black trousers. His eyes followed the leg, towards the torso, and up to the face where he finally recognized Orihara Izaya.

Immediately his rage flared and he made a grab for a trashcan when he realized that the brunette was actually fast asleep in the middle of the sidewalk.

Lowering the trashcan, his anger diminishing, Shizuo tentatively stepped forwards. He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. The flea's normal scent was tinged with strong traces of alcohol. Which meant…

Was Izaya _drunk_?

He had never seen the informant get drunk before. He _had_ seen him drink a couple times, but this was a first. Izaya's pale cheeks were flushed from both the alcohol in his system and the cool winds of the night. His mouth was slightly open and his chest minutely rose and fell with his breathing. Shizuo then remembered that he had never seen Izaya asleep before. It was almost awkward, seeing his mortal enemy in such a vunerable state.

_Should I leave him here?_

The idea wanted to make him laugh and scoff at the same time. Izaya shivered a little in his sleep as a particularly strong gust of wind blew. Shizuo absentmindedly wondered if he would catch a cold out here. The flea was resistant when it came to Shizuo flinging something at him, but otherwise his health system seemed fairly delicate.

_"You can kill him, but you can worry over him too."_

Shizuo paused as Miwa's words rang through his head. Izaya sneezed quietly in his sleep and he made up his mind.

Scooping the informant up in his arms, he carried him through the streets towards his apartment. Izaya, unconsciously sensing the change in temperature, huddled closer to him for warmth.

* * *

Next Chapter: Shying Away

I actually really like the ShizuoxVorona and IzayaxNamie pairings. ShizuoxVorona is just so cute because they're actually pretty similar in their own ways. Both had a lonely childhood, both have a strong fighting desire, and, of course, they're both cake-loving blondies, LOL.


	6. Shying Away

Aww, no reviews this time? Sad... T_T

Anyway, here's the chapter 6 installment. I feel like a drunk Izaya would be so cute...

* * *

Shizuo set Izaya down on his bed and moved towards his closet to get his clothes. He briefly wondered if he should use a suitcase before remembering that he didn't even have a suitcase. Traveling had never been his thing, after all.

Izaya mumbled a bit in his sleep and rolled around on the messy white sheets. Shizuo kept a sharp eye on him while collecting his things. He lived on the upper floors of the building and, since heat rises, his apartment was pretty warm without the air conditioner. He grabbed his toothbrush, towel, and an extra box of cigarettes. Thinking that he ought to smoke one now before heading over, he lit it up and went towards the window. A cool breeze drifted inside the room and he savored it.

Most of the smoke went outside but a little remained inside the room, filling the room with the scent of tobacco. Izaya's nose twitched and he blearily opened his eyes. He found himself staring at a ceiling that looked familiar but he wasn't sure if he had ever seen it in person. It was warm. A brief gust of wind blew against his face and he turned his head towards the source.

Izaya wasn't sure if he was seeing things. His most hated person and the thing he had been agonizing over the whole night was right before his eyes. He sluggishly moved his hand towards his pocket to get his knife, but halfway Shizuo spotted him and he stopped.

"You awake, flea?" he said gruffly, mocha eyes averting themselves from red ones. Izaya stared at him for a moment before weakly saying:

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Without further ado, he bolted off the bed and straight towards the bathroom. Shizuo listened to the retching noises indifferently and went back to smoking. The moon was beautiful today.

Izaya staggered out several minutes later, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Shizuo looked at him in disgust before going in to the bathroom himself. There was the sound of the toilet flushing – Izaya had forgotten to flush away the insides of his stomach – and then the sound of the sink running and Shizuo came back with a small wet towel. "Here," he grunted, throwing it at Izaya so that it smacked him hard in the face.

Izaya accepted the charity without comment and wiped away the sweat and whatever else he may have accumulated from sleeping in the street. There was enough alcohol in his system for him to not care about his elegance and to mumble thanks to Shizuo, who raised an eyebrow.

"… Why am I at Shizu-chan's place?"

"Cause I carried you here, idiot," Shizuo snorted. Izaya stared at him blankly before asking his next question.

"Why did Shizu-chan help me?"

"…" Shizuo wasn't sure how to answer this one. How could he say that the only reason he rescued Izaya was because his ex-girlfriend's words had stuck in his mind? Not that he knew Izaya had been struggling with this same problem the entire day. "… What's wrong with helping someone?"

"Shizu-chan shouldn't help people. It makes you seem human. Besides, you hate me."

Shizuo decided to ignore the first two sentences. "Just cause I hate you doesn't mean that I'd leave you out in the street," he said shortly. "Can't say that you'd do the same, though, since you hate me too."

"I don't hate you."

Shizuo's eyebrows were in danger of rising off his head. "What?"

"I don't hate you," Izaya repeated. He tilted his head drunkenly. "At least I think I don't."

Shizuo stared at him before sighing loudly and stubbing out his cigarette. "You're drunk. Go back to sleep," he ordered him. "Or else walk. I'm going to Miwa's."

"Nacchan's place?" Izaya laid his head down again. "I don't like her."

"Really?" now Shizuo couldn't help but sound amused. It was the first time that _anyone_ had disliked Miwa. Then again, this was Izaya. "Even though she's human?"

"She's too much like me," Izaya grumbled, pouting a little. "What is it called again? 'Hatred for the same kind'? I don't like her."

Shizuo gave a tiny snort of laughter. "Whatever. Hurry up and sleep, flea."

"Mmkay," Izaya drowsily obeyed, turning over on his side and going to sleep at once. His soft snores echoed through the room. Shizuo glanced at his pile of clothes and toiletries and then looked down at his box of cigarettes before pulling out another.

Just another quick one before heading to Miwa's.

…

…

…

"…"

"…"

"… Care to explain yourself?"

"What? I found in him in the street. That's all."

"That's all, you say…"

Miwa had a good reason to be surprised. Anyone who lived in Ikebukuro would be surprised to see Orihara Izaya in the arms of Heiwajima Shizuo. To top it off, he was completely intact.

"He got wasted and he felt asleep near the old bar that I used to work at. So I grabbed him and brought him along."

"And you didn't try to kill him this time around _why_?"

"You said that I could worry over him," Shizuo protested. "Besides, I hate hitting drunk people. Well, no, I hate hitting people in general, but he's drunk so… so whatever, right?"

"Are you aware that you aren't really making any sense?" Miwa's mind was spinning. Her brain was concocting plans at thirty evil thoughts per second. "Well, whatever is right. Go put him upstairs. You should go to bed too."

"Ah, yeah…" Shizuo agreed and went to head up the stairs. The moment he was out of earshot, Miwa did a little dance that caused the floorboards under her to creak.

_I've never believed in you before, but you have my fucking thanks, Lord,_ she thought happily. _I definitely won't waste this God-given opportunity!_

…

…

…

Shizuo opened the door to the bedroom he previously stayed in, then stopped and stared.

Okay. That was weird.

Why were there suddenly two twin beds in this room? The last time he had been there, this morning, there had only been one. Now it seems that they multiplied.

To top it off… Shizuo glanced both ways down the hall. Why did the place suddenly seem smaller? It looked as if there were fewer rooms than there were yesterday.

_Is it just my imagination?_

Izaya made a sleepy noise and Shizuo couldn't see any other way around it. He walked in and dropped Izaya on one of the beds and then headed out to see if he could find another room to stay in. He still hated the flea, after all. There was no way that he would be able to bear sleeping in the same room as him.

"Where are you going?"

Shizuo paused. "You woke up again?"

Izaya blearily looked around, somehow reminding Shizuo of a baby chick. "Where are we?"

"This is the second floor of _Angels' Delicacies_. I sleep in this room… but since you're here, I'll sleep somewhere else," he turned around to leave again when he heard Izaya hurriedly move off the bed and grabbed his sleeve.

"Stay here."

"Are you still drunk, flea?"

"_Stay here_."

Shizuo looked at him. Izaya's face was still flushed and his eyes were slightly glazed over. Yep, he was still drunk.

"… Go to sleep."

"Stay with me."

"Fine. I'll stay. Go to sleep."

Izaya, seemingly satisfied, let go of him and curled back up on the bed. Shizuo sat on the opposite bed, thinking that it would be easier if he just waited for Izaya to go to sleep before leaving. Izaya's eyes didn't close, however, and reddish orbs kept staring at the bodyguard.

Shizuo started to get irritated again.

"Quit your staring, Iiii-zaaa-yaaa-kuuun," he growled, lowly and dangerously. Izaya, being Izaya, didn't listen to him and kept staring.

"… Hey, Shizu-chan?" he said in a surprisingly childish voice. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"What the fuck?" Shizuo looked thunderous. "Hmm, I wonder why? How about I start by _listing the number of things you did to me, _you shit!"

"Hmmm? What did I do?"

Shizuo couldn't believe that they were actually having this conversation. Or even having a conversation seemed too weird. Trying to keep his temper under control, he ticked things off on his fingers.

"You got me fired from multiple jobs… you fucking got me run over by a truck _twice_… you attempted to frame me for murder… not to mention you just mess with me for the hell of it!" he glared daggers at the drunk man. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why don't you ever just leave me alone? If you just moved to America or Russia or some other faraway place, then we wouldn't ever have to see each other again!" growing angrier from just remembering it, Shizuo stood up and grabbed the nightstand.

"But I don't want that."

"Ahh? What the hell do you want then!?" the blonde snarled.

"I want your attention."

Shizuo pulled up short. "… What?"

"Shizu-chan is the only person who ever pays any real attention to me," Izaya mumbled pathetically. "Even the people who I call my 'friends' don't pay attention to me. Shinra only pays attention to Celty and Dotachin doesn't want anything to do with me. That's why I only really have Shizu-chan."

"… You're fucking drunk and you're rambling. Go to sleep already!"

"Will you stay here?"

"Ah?" Shizuo paused. "… Fine, whatever. I'll stay," he put down the nightstand.

"Then come here," Izaya patted the edge of his bed, indicating that Shizuo should sit. Said man stared in disbelief. "Hurry up already."

"… Just how much did you drink?" Shizuo grumbled, complying and sitting down beside Izaya. A hand reached out to grip his sleeve again and Izaya smiled – not one of those snarky smiles either, but a small, genuine smile.

"Nighty-night, Shizu-chan…"

Izaya promptly passed out. However, he didn't let go of the sleeve. Shizuo wasn't willing to rip the outfit Kasuka gave him just because of this.

_… Whatever. It'll be normal by tomorrow_, he thought. Then he leaned back against the wall and fell asleep.

…

…

…

"Holy crap," Miwa stared at her computer screen. "I didn't even have to do anything."

Taina and Carsten, who were both laying down on either side of her, glanced at each other. "… Maybe they already realize their feelings?"

"Shizuo-kun knows nothing," Miwa said in the same tone as she would have used if she had said, 'Shizuo-kun is an oblivious bastard'. "But it seems that Orihara-san was more impacted than I thought he would be."

"First you implant him with a tracking device and then you forcibly rewrite part of his subconscious. If I didn't work for you and depend on you for my salary, I would turn you in to the police," Carsten deadpanned. Taina giggled. Miwa flashed him an impish smirk.

"Well, let's see what will happen tomorrow," Miwa paused. "… Damn, I might have to repair my walls tomorrow."

"It'll happen when it happens. Good night, Manager."

"Good night."

…

…

…

A ray of sunlight fell across Izaya's beautiful face. Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted by a familiar-but-unfamiliar ceiling and the feeling of being pressed against someone else in the bed with him.

_… Did I get so drunk that I went and slept with somebody?_

Izaya was almost afraid to find out, but he rolled over anyway and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

Shizuo, who had slid down the wall and was now sleeping with his neck on the pillow. His head was tilted at a ninety degree angle but that didn't seem to bother him. Izaya's mouth fell open in shock.

_What in the world?_ he realized that he was latched onto Shizuo's sleeve and quickly let go. _What is going on?_

He slid away from Shizuo as quietly as possible until his feet hit the floor and he stood, staring at the blonde. _What happened last night? Why are we here? Isn't this _Angels' Delicacies_? What did I do?_

That last question flashed vividly in his mind and suddenly Izaya was greeted by a torrent of memories flooding in to his brain. Memories of being carried by the bodyguard, of being cared for, of conversing, of… of…

_"I don't hate you." "I want your attention."_

Oh goodness.

Izaya stood there, so shell-shocked, that he jumped when he heard a knock on the door. The girl who always wore gothic Lolita outfits opened the door and peeked in. "Orihara-san?" she said softly. "Manager would like to speak with you."

Izaya wordlessly followed her out of the room, downstairs, where Miwa was waiting.

…

…

…

Somewhere in a different country, most likely America, a man stood in front of an apartment building. He wore a hat and trench coat… an odd choice, but for this man it suited his needs.

He was waiting.

Before long, a couple walked out of the building. The woman had black hair and brown eyes, while her husband had brown hair and brown eyes with a slightly red tint. They were conversing in low voices, but they stopped when the man in the trench coat stood in front of them.

"Orihara Shirou-san… and Orihara Kyouko-san?"

"… That would be us," Orihara Shirou said, discreetly pushing his wife behind him. "And you are?"

The man took off his hat, revealing pale, pale skin and black, shaggy hair.

"My name is Yamikage. Do you have a moment?"

…

…

…

"What have you done to me?" snarled Izaya, in a rare moment when he lost his composure. "What did you do to my head?"

"Your head was already pretty messed up if you ask me," Miwa said cheerfully. She was making coffee for the two of them to drink. "Green Eye, right? You're pretty fond of it, aren't you?"

"Stop avoiding the question," Izaya hissed, slamming down a hand on to the counter. He was too agitated to think properly. "Why is it that I couldn't get your words out of my head? Are you planning a future career in hypnotism?"

"I'm impressed. You figured out it was hypnotism?"

"Of course I did. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"It just took a genius a long time, hmmm?"

Izaya glowered at her. Miwa laughed. "Alright, alright," she said amiably. "I might have imprinted a subliminal mind message on you, but frankly you're the one who made a big deal about it. If you stopped thinking about it for a while, it would have gone away."

"I _did_ stop thinking about it!" Izaya snapped. "Last night I…" he stopped. Come to think of it, when had he stopped thinking about it? He couldn't remember such a time. Even when he was in the nightclub he had continuous flashes of _"Do you really hate Shizuo-kun?"_ in his mind.

"You see?" Miwa handed him his coffee and sipped her own. "Those sort of things fade away with time if you really think nothing of it. If you were apathetic to the question, then you wouldn't have been tormented by it," she smirked at him from over the rim of her cup. "But the fact that you kept thinking about it just means that you couldn't help it. In other words, you were curious about it yourself but you kept pushing the question away in fear of answering it."

"What 'in fear'?" Izaya muttered, sipping at his coffee sulkily. Miwa chuckled.

"Well, you've learned that you don't hate him, haven't you?"

"How did you…" Izaya blinked. "Of course. Hidden cameras. How perverted."

"Not so much perverted as , let's say, _inquisitive_," she flashed him another smile. "But you don't hate Shizuo-kun, you merely wanted him to pay attention to you. Like a spoiled brat, I suppose."

Izaya bristled at the insult but did not retaliate. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before speaking again. "… So what do you want?"

"What I want?" Miwa looked mildly surprised.

"There has to be a reason for why you're pushing Shizu-chan and I together. Do you want us to be friends or something? Unfortunately that's impossible. I have no interest in becoming friends with Shizu-chan."

Miwa started to chuckle before it turned into a full-on laugh. "What _I _want? Orihara Izaya, you have no idea what I want," she turned her gaze on him, eyelids lowered. "But this isn't about me, is it?" a playful smile curled on her lips. "It's about you."

"Me?"

"Certainly. It's about what _you_ want," Miwa winked at him. "You want Shizuo-kun's attention all to yourself. You also want for him to be near you at all times, judging from how you were acting yesterday."

"I don't – "

"You want Shizuo-kun's attention, and you want his companionship," she leaned closer to him until her lips brushed against the shell of his ear. Her voice was low, seductive, and playful. "Maybe… you just _want_ Shizuo-kun?"

Izaya shoved her away, grunting when he found it harder to do than expected, and glared at her. "Nonsense. When did I ever…"

_"Stay with me."_

Inexplicably he felt his entire face go hot. It was at that exact moment in which Shizuo decided to make his reappearance.

His bartender uniform was a little mussed, since he had slept in it, and his hair was sticking up in weird angles. Normally, Izaya would have teased him for looking like a bum, but all he could do was stare.

"Morning, Shizuo-kun," Miwa greeted him cheerfully. Izaya shot her a baleful glance for acting so innocent. She batted her eyelashes at him mockingly. Izaya didn't even _know_ you could bat eyelashes mockingly.

How much more was this woman hiding that he didn't know?

"You still drunk or something, flea?" Shizuo sat down next to him, causing Izaya to jump and fidget. "Your face is redder than yesterday. Got a cold?"

Izaya opened his mouth to say that he was fine, thank you very much, when Shizuo suddenly reached up with one of his large hands and pressed it against his forehead.

Whatever he was about to say came out as an odd squeak. Shizuo pulled away. "Your temperature's fine. What are you so red for?"

Miwa was hiding her laughing face behind a serving tray she had snatched up in the heat of the moment. This was just _too good_.

Izaya swallowed and tried again. "What do you care, you protozoan? Don't bother caring, it makes you sound like a human," he was satisfied that his voice didn't wobble as much as he expected it would.

To his immense shock, Shizuo merely glared at him before turning away, muttering under his breath. "What, another plea for attention?"

If Izaya's face was red before, it was nothing compared to now. Miwa was briefly reminded of a red rose – just as scarlet and just as thorny.

"That was a drunken rambling, Shizu-chan. Of course, I'm not surprised that you believed in it. Shizu-chan as the same mindset as a caveman after all. Why don't you just go die already?"

"Why don't you just hurry up and leave? You're annoying me," Shizuo said, brushing him off with the same indifferent attitude. Izaya suddenly felt hurt.

"Bye, Nacchan. Thanks for the coffee," he managed to say before whirling around and stomping out. Miwa waved a good-bye.

"I'll put it on your tab!" she called, before turning back to Shizuo with a bit of a frown. "Wasn't that a little mean?"

"What?"

"You didn't have to be so _apathetic._"

"I hate him. If he wants me to pay attention to him, I won't."

"Sadistic…" Miwa pursed her lips. Shizuo shrugged. "But don't you think it's a little pitiful? That guy is similar to you – he gets lonely easily."

"I don't get lonely."

"But you have people that you can call companions and friends. Orihara-san has no one who he can say is 'close'."

"Yeah," Shizuo had to agree, remembering Izaya's drunken confession the night before.

"Maybe he wants to be friends with you."

"He keeps trying to kill me for no reason. I doubt it."

"Why don't you get angry at him anymore?"

"Who says I don't?" Shizuo pulled out a cigarette, despite Miwa's evil eye. "It's just that… when I see him acting so differently from what I'm used to, I just can't get angry."

_… Whoops. Did Yamikage's hypnotism last longer than I thought it would? That might be a problem later._ She made a mental note to talk to her baker when he got back from overseas. "It's a bit cruel though. Think of it from Orihara-san's point of view."

"I don't _want _to think like – "

"Just this once. You'd be feeling pretty bad right now if the one person who gave you any sort of attention just started annoying you. What if Tanaka-san or Vorona-san or Kasuka-kun just started ignoring you?" Miwa pressed, trying to emphasize her point. She knew that those three people would probably never ignore Shizuo… but she hoped that he had a good enough imagination to think about it.

Shizuo paused and thought. Mulling over the sad images in his brain, he muttered. "… Okay, fine. I was being mean."

"Go apologize to him."

"WHY THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO – "

"_GO APOLOGIZE!_"

Shizuo flinched. It was rare when Miwa got angry enough to yell, and frankly when she was angry enough, she was downright scary. Her gray eyes were flashing like lightning in a storm and her body language clearly screamed, 'screw me with me? FUCK YOU'. The last time he had seen his ex-girlfriend like that… well, back then it was pretty fortunate that her anger had been directed at somebody else.

They had a staring contest before Miwa finally sighed. "_Please?_" she said, in a quieter, more controlled voice.

"… Fine," Shizuo muttered.

"Great!" Miwa grinned. She leaned across the counter and gave the blonde a peck on the cheek, making his cheeks turn slightly pink. "… So what are you waiting for?"

"What, now – I'm going! I'm going!" Shizuo yelled exasperatedly as Miwa's aura turned downright murderous. He left the café at a trot, not daring to look behind.

When he was gone, Miwa deflated a bit and sighed. She leaned against the cake stand and then quickly jumped back when she felt it tilt beneath her. Taina and Carsten, who were once again hiding in the kitchen, came out.

"I've never seen you like that before, Manager," Carsten commented. Miwa laughed tiredly and ran a hand through her hair, fingering her single upside down cross earring.

"It's one of the few ways that you can control Shizuo-kun," she said with a smile. "When he gets angry, most people back away from him like herbivores from a hungry carnivore. If you don't show any fear, or even yell at him just as angrily, he'll end up listening to you. Well, if you just talk to him calmly the effect is the same, but I thought that this way would be more efficient."

"You look upset though," Taina pointed out bluntly.

"I know. I _hate_ getting angry. I've actually got a worse temper than Shizuo-kun, I just trained myself to hide it."

"Why?"

"Hmm? Ah, well, if I ever got angry, I could count on getting a beating."

"…?" Carsten opened his mouth to ask what she meant when Taina sharply elbowed him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Manager, there was a phone call from Yamikage-san earlier, but we didn't pick up. I think he's counting on you to call him back," Taina half-lied. It was true that Yamikage had called, but they had picked up and promised to relay the message. Carsten looked at her, puzzled, and this time Taina stomped on his foot with her platform gothic Lolita shoes. He yelped in pain while Taina took the time to push her boss to the kitchen. "Hurry and call him!"

"Eh? Ah, okay?"

Once she was gone, Taina ran back to Carsten's side. He opened his mouth to yell at her but she interrupted him with a kiss and an apology. "Sorry, but you shouldn't ask Manager about those sort of things."

"What things?" Carsten asked, completely pacified.

"Mmm, well, Manager… always has a pained look on her face when she has to talk about them," Taina sighed softly. She leaned against Carsten, who gave her a comforting arm around the shoulder.

"She doesn't have any good memories of family…"

…

…

…

"Hello?"

**"Oh, Manager? It's Yamikage."**

"Yeah, Taina and Carsten said that you have a message for me?"

**"… Eh? I thought I told them to… well, never mind. Everything over here is going smoothly, Manager."**

"Really?" she said gleefully, bouncing lightly on her toes. "So when can we expect 'that'?"

**"In about a week or so."**

"Excellent! Step two is just about done over here too, she said cheerfully. Her smile just turned oh so much more _wicked_. "Then let's begin Step three!"

…

…

…

Orihara Izaya sat in his office, still fuming. Namie wondered what on earth had caused him to keep such a bad mood for so many days.

Well, it's not like she cared.

Izaya drummed his fingers on his desk, thinking. Well, he thought in a last-ditch effort to cheer himself up, at least that annoying mantra wasn't running through his head anymore.

_"Maybe… you just _want_ Shizuo-kun?"_

He slammed his head down on his desk. Oh, fuck it all to hell.

* * *

Next Chapter: Mental Break

HARHARHAR. I love my OC Miwa, the fujoshi hypnotist who can entice guys to have feelings for other guys. Harharhar. Anyways, please read and leave some reviews and or requests...


	7. Mind Break

So this story will probably move up into M ratings, just as a heads up. This chapter is a little short compared to the others but there's more so-called action in it... haha! Enjoy!

* * *

Shizuo shuffled his feet restlessly as he waited for Tom to come out of the building where he was currently collecting money. Or at least, he was trying to. Shizuo could hear their conversation from all the way downstairs.

"I-I'm telling you! Just give me a couple more days and I'll – "

"You've been saying that for a while, Satanoka-san. If you don't give us the money, then we'll be forced to…"

Tom's voice was abruptly cut off by a loud thump. Suddenly the man named Satanoka came rushing down the stairs, eyes wild and terrified. All he saw was the blue of the sky as he was suddenly grabbed and flung hard on to the ground. Shizuo had snatched him by the collar and thrown him.

"Impressive. I request to give you praise," Vorona, who was standing next to him said.

"Mmm," Shizuo said half-heartedly. Vorona went upstairs to check on Tom and came back with him rubbing his head in pain.

"Guy whacked me on the head with a coat stand," he muttered. "Well, I guess it's sort of understandable, but seriously, I want to whack him back."

"I ask why not destroy him? Elimination is quick and efficient."

"Stop saying dangerous things like that," Shizuo gently scolded her, ruffling her hair. She looked at him with her blue eyes and tilted her head.

"Something wrong?"

"What?"

"You've seem kind of off these days, Shizuo," Tom interjected, examining Satanoka who was still knocked out. "… Did that guy do something to you again?"

"'That guy'?" Shizuo blinked before realizing what his friend was talking about. "Oh. Izaya? What about him?"

"… That's an unusual reaction."

"Agreed."

"What?"

"Whenever anybody mentions that guy, you blow up right away. Are you sure you're not sick or something?"

"… Tom-san, you know me. I've never gotten sick before."

"Ah, right, right. But seriously, what happened between you two? Care to talk about it?"

Shizuo remained silent, but then Vorona came closer to him and looked up at him with her curious sky-colored eyes. He looked down at her for a moment before sighing softly and patting her on the head again. Were all kouhai this cute? "… It's nothing much. I just discovered that the flea doesn't actually hate me."

"I am confused. I confess I had a different impression," Vorona said in monotone. "But is it that situation?"

"Situation?"

"One teases whom he likes."

Shizuo froze for a moment before relaxing. "Nah, that can't be. As far as I know, the flea has no interest in men." _At least I hope he doesn't_, Shizuo thought privately to himself.

"As far as you know," Tom pointed out.

Shizuo made a face. "Ugh. I fucking hope not."

…

…

…

_"Maybe… you just _want_ Shizuo-kun?"_

Growling in frustration, Izaya attacked his keyboard with newfound vigor. His secretary glanced up from her paperwork and decided to finally ask what the hell had been fuming about for the past three days. For three days Izaya had not gone to Ikebukuro again. Instead he had opted to stay in Shinjuku to work. It wasn't unusual for him not to go to Ikebukuro for long periods of time, but it was rare to see him in such foul temper.

"So what is wrong with you?" she asked dully, showing that she really didn't care. The next thing she knew, Izaya was ranting the entire story to her, starting from how he first started investigating _Angels' Delicacies_ all the way up to that morning three days ago. Namie had never seen Izaya lose his cool before, and had to confess that it was a nice change to see him acting as human as everyone else. She also had to admit that she listened to the story very intently because it was actually pretty interesting.

"… So basically, you never hated Heiwajima Shizuo, you actually liked him?"

"I don't _like_ him!" Izaya said indignantly. "I've never _liked_ him! I hate that stupid Neanderthal!" he lapsed in to muttering insults under his breath. Namie watched, briefly amused, before speaking again.

"Why don't you talk to him then?"

"What?"

"Talk to him and sort out your feelings. Maybe you'll discover how you actually feel," she said. Izaya eyed her critically for a moment.

"… Have you talked about this matter with Seiji-kun yet?"

His secretary's eyes turned frosty. "No I haven't. And I won't. I'm satisfied being near Seiji's side," she turned away and started to shuffle through her paperwok again. "But you're the greedy kind, so you may as well have Heiwajima Shizuo or not at all."

"I've already said it's not _like_ that!"

…

…

…

Shizuo scratched his head as he waited in the usual park for Celty to come around and talk to him. She was a little late today, and that didn't help his mood. Izaya hadn't come to Ikebukuro for three days, and he had to admit that it bothered him. He was used to the flea coming when he least wanted him to. At this rate, he wouldn't ever be able to go see Miwa again either; she had forbidden him to come to _Angels' Delicacies_ until he had apologized.

Normally he wouldn't listen to such warnings, but the look in Miwa's eyes had actually made him nervous.

The familiar roar of a motorbike reached his ears and he turned to see his best female friend pulling up next to the curb. She patted her motorbike – she had once told him it was actually a horse in disguise – and then came up to him. Whipping out her PDA, she typed him a message.

{Good afternoon. Are you alright? You look kind of… irritated.}

So even she was able to tell? "Yeah, I've had a rough week. Mind if I tell you?"

{Go ahead. I think it would be best if you let it out.}

So Shizuo told her about Miwa, _Angels' Delicacies_, and how Izaya had been acting. When he was done, though Shizuo could't be sure, her entire body had gone completely rigid. If she had a head, what would her face look like? Shizuo wondered. He snapped his fingers in front of her helmet. "Celty? What's the matter? Now you're looking weird."

Celty's fingers trembled as she tapped at her PDA. {Um… no, don't mind me. I was just thinking about something that Karisawa said… Shinra said the same thing… ugh…}

**(A/N: If you don't know what they're talking about, refer to the bottom bullet point on Heiwajima Shizuo's Wikia page. It's in the Trivia section.)**

"…?"

{Anyway, Shizuo, are you sure about this? I mean, okay you can apologize to him, but don't you think that your relationship may turn a bit… weird?}

"Weird how?" Shizuo asked, clearly not getting it. Celty wasn't sure whether to be exasperated or relieved that Shizuo was so dense with matters like these.

{W-Well… if you don't hate Izaya and he doesn't hate you, then what would your relationship be?}

Shizuo contemplated it. "… Wouldn't we just be acquaintances then? Though I'd still beat him up from time to time if he caused any more trouble in Ikebukuro. Other than that, we'd probably ignore each other most of the time."

{NO!} Celty shoved the PDA so vehemently in his face that he was surprised. {Think about it! Izaya wants your attention, and knowing him he'll just pull off worse things to get it! But if you don't hate him anymore than he might not do that…}

Shizuo stared at her. "So… you want me and the flea to be _friends_?"

Celty visibly cringed at the idea, but she typed resolutely on her PDA. {… If that's what it takes to preserve peace, then your sacrifice will be honored by many, Shizuo.}

The bodyguard wasn't sure if she was kidding.

{But it seems that you need to apologize to Izaya first. Do you want a ride to Shinjuku?}

…

…

…

Namie had already left. Izaya was now pacing the floor of his study, wondering what he should do. The idea of going to see Shizuo – without pissing him off – made him strangely nervous.

_"Maybe… you just _want_ Shizuo-kun?"_

Not to mention that the new mantra just kept repeating over and over in his mind. Forget talking, he might not even be able to look Shizuo in the eye. The more it repeated the more Izaya's mind drifted to _that_ kind of 'want'. He wasn't sure if he 'that want' was the type of want he felt, but he didn't want to find out.

_Shizu-chan did say that he wouldn't mind if I just stayed out of his life…_

He wondered if he should go join his parents overseas for a while… it wouldn't be a bad idea to open up an American branch. And Mairu and Kururi would have school so they wouldn't come… he couldn't help the smirk on his face. _That_ was definitely an added bonus.

One of his many cell phones on his desk rang and he went over to check which one. His face fell a little – it was the one that he had reserved for his so-called 'family'.

_It'd better not be Mairu again_, he thought grumpily, picking up. "Hello?"

**"Izaya?" **

The informant froze. "… Mother?"

**"It's good to hear your voice,"**his mother, Kyouko, said. **"Are you alright? Eating well? Working hard?"**

"Mother, I'm in my twenties. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Izaya said, using formal tone despite the harsh comments. He considered his parents to be 'friends' rather than family after all, but out of filial duty he thought it best to at least address them by their proper titles. "If you want to worry about someone, worry about Mairu and Kururi."

**"I'll give them a call after this one. I just wanted to tell you that we're going to come home in a few days."**

"You are?" Izaya blinked. This was rare. After Izaya had graduated high school, Kyouko and Shirou had practically moved overseas because they counted on him to take care of Mairu and Kururi. He did take care of them, as a matter of fact, until he moved to Shinjuku. That was when Mairu and Kururi had learned how to cook and could survive without him. Orihara Izaya was human after all. He wouldn't just let his sisters _starve_.

Unless it benefited him in some way, of course.

**"We'll see you in a couple days then. Do you want anything? A souvenir?" **

Izaya had to suppress a laugh. What did he need with a souvenir? "No. Just come home safely."

**"Thanks. Love you, dear."**

Izaya snapped the phone shut and stared out his window. _Love_. What an emotion. It had so many variations and yet they all were the same thing. Love.

_"Maybe… you just _want_ Shizuo-kun?"_

Sighing in frustration, he ran his fingers through his black hair and grumbled. What the hell did he want from Shizuo? Love? Attention? Friendship? Sexual desire? If it was that last one, then he was going to kill himself.

He sighed. It would be better if he didn't see Shizuo until his feelings were sorted out. He sat back down in his desk chair and spun around so that he could look outside again.

… Only to notice a familiar black motorbike and an even more familiar bartender riding behind his usual courier.

…

…

…

{Ah. He saw us.}

"What? Really?"

{He looks like he wants to run away.}

"Like hell!" Shizuo quickly got off the motorbike and shot in to the building. Opting for the stairs, he sprinted up them five steps at a time, then using parkour to jump from railing to railing. He spotted Izaya heading out his door just as he got onto the landing.

"GET BACK HERE YOU FLEA!" he roared, grabbing Izaya and shoving him back hard in to his apartment. Quickly slamming the door shut – fortunately he had enough sense to not rip it off his hinges – he stood in front of it, trapping the informant in his own home. "I've got you, Iiiii-zaaa-yaaa-kuuun," he crooned, a wicked smirk on his face. Izaya backed away.

"S-Shizu-chan…"

Hm?

What was that?

Was Izaya… afraid?

Was he actually afraid?

Shizuo had seen Izaya be nervous, hesitant, exasperated, doubtful, and upset. But he had never really seen him afraid. Adding to that, Izaya wasn't looking at him in the eye for once.

Izaya had _always_ looked Shizuo in the eye. He had stared at him fearlessly, not scared like everybody else. Somehow this vulnerability irritated Shizuo more. Why did the flea suddenly decide to be so meek and quiet?

_Why isn't he looking at me?_

The thought made Shizuo stop and Izaya took the chance to hurl himself from the room, hoping to get Shizuo to chase him so that he would leave the door unguarded. He could probably maneuver his way back…

Shizuo immediately ran after him, ready to pin him down to apologize if he had to. Izaya jumped over his couch and gawked as Shizuo simply _plowed straight through it_. The result left two thirds of his couch in the room and one third flying towards him. It hit him hard and he fell to the ground with the piece of couch pinning him down. He was just about to throw it off and get up when it was abruptly removed and he was pinned down.

Eyes widening, he stared up in something that could have been fright at the suddenly giant Shizuo who loomed over him. He tried to free himself, but of course this was Heiwajima Shizuo. He wasn't going to be thrown off by the brunette's inferior strength.

He tried to kick but Shizuo merely growled and moved his legs so that Izaya's were also pinned down. Crying out his frustration, Izaya squirmed, wriggled, and _struggled_ just to get him off.

Nothing worked.

"Would you just calm the fuck down?" Shizuo snarled angrily. Freezing at the word 'fuck', Izaya merely stared up at him in terror.

Shizuo didn't like that. Not at all. There were times where he thought it would have been good to wipe the smirk off of Izaya's face. But now that it was gone, he found himself missing it. It was better when Izaya had looked at him as if he were a mere bug.

Better when Izaya didn't fear him like everyone else.

Realizing that holding Izaya down was probably not helping the situation, he released Izaya's wrists and sighed. Running a hand through his blond hair, he tried to keep his voice level and steady. "Look, I just want to talk. So will you just sit still and listen? It'll only take a couple minutes, I promise."

Izaya was still staring at him, but he gave a minute nod and Shizuo was heartened. He cleared his throat and glanced down at Izaya, now feeling a bit nervous himself. He had never apologized to him before, after all.

Izaya stared at him, taking in his uncomfortable expression and… was that a _blush_ on his cheeks? It totally was! Izaya felt something inside of him stir in horror. This… this wasn't…

… A _confession_, was it?

Oh goodness, no. What was he thinking? Of course it wasn't. This was Shizu-chan after all, right?

Right?

"I-I just wanted to tell you… that I… to you…"

_Is this a shoujo manga now?!_ Izaya gulped. It _totally_ sounded like a confession! He wasn't ready for this! He didn't want this! Not yet!

_… Eh? Did I just think 'yet'?_

"I… wanted to tell you that… I'm sorry."

"… What?"

Izaya came out of his thoughts and blinked at Shizuo, who was scratching the back of his head. "I said that I'm sorry, you shitty flea!" he barked, trying to cover up his awkwardness with bravado. "I just… I went too far the last time we saw each other. It was my bad. Sorry."

Izaya only stared at him wordlessly before bursting out in to laughter.

Shizuo, of course, got pissed again. "What's so funny?" he growled dangerously. Here he was, actually _apologizing_ and this stupid flea was just…

"I didn't expect an apology from you of all people," Izaya finally choked out, wiping away the tears that had accumulated. "And I thought…"

"You thought what?"

Izaya decided to tell him the truth, for the hope that he wouldn't believe it. "I was just thinking that you would confess your undying _love_ to me, Shizu-chan!"

"AHH?!" Shizuo roared, looking furious. "You bastard, who the hell would…" then abruptly he cooled down and looked Izaya carefully in the eye.

"… What's the matter, Shizu-chan?"

"… You…" the bodyguard's tone and face were disbelieving. "Were you _serious_?"

"Eh?" Izaya froze, too shocked to reply. Shizuo took the silence as a yes and they had a long staring contest.

Izaya couldn't believe it. Since when did the brute get so perceptive? No, wait. He couldn't be perceptive. Because Izaya didn't want Shizuo to confess to him. He didn't want that at all!

_"Maybe… you just _want _Shizuo-kun?"_

Before Izaya knew what he was doing, he had grabbed Shizuo's collar and yanked him down, cutting off the yell of protest with his lips.

It was a very passionate move for Izaya and a shocking one for Shizuo. Izaya reversed their positions so that he was on top and wrapped his arms around Shizuo's head so that he wouldn't move away. He tried to pry open the blonde's mouth with his tongue. Shizuo clamped his lips shut and refused him entry, trying to get away. He grabbed Izaya by the hips to yank him back and got another shock when Izaya ripped away his mouth and moaned.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Shizuo screeched, still trying to distance himself. Izaya, true to his flea nickname, did not let go.

"I don't know," Izaya whimpered helplessly. "I don't know. Nacchan…"

Shizuo stopped trying to get Izaya off of him and blinked. "Miwa? What does Miwa have to do with anything?" he tried to ask but he was cut off by another passionate kiss. Shizuo, who had his mouth open to speak, then had his mouth invaded by a demanding tongue. Without thinking he instinctively fought against the intrusion by biting down. Izaya ripped away from him, blood pouring from both his tongue and lip.

Shizuo finally shoved him away and sat up, panting hard. Izaya merely sat there, dazedly touching his bleeding lip. Shizuo stumbled to his feet and then turned to run, leaving the informant sitting on the floor.

Celty was surprised when Shizuo suddenly came bursting down the stairs and quickly seated himself on her motorbike. {What happened?} she asked. She took in his disheveled clothes and strange expression and wondered if they had ended up fighting again.

"I don't… don't ask, Celty. Drive, just drive," Shizuo gasped out. "I need to go see Miwa."

If Celty could have blinked, she would have. Instead she seated herself and drove away, aware of Shizuo's weird expression behind her.

Izaya watched them go from his window and touched his bleeding lip again. "Ahhh, I see," he muttered. "Nacchan made my mind so unstable that I ended up doing crazy things…" he sat himself down on one part of the destroyed couch and put his head in his hands. "Yeah, that's right. It's Nacchan's fault…"

Miwa's words about how the hypnotism manifested from his own desires drifted through his brain. He grit his teeth and realized that he couldn't deny his own feelings any longer.

_I… love Shizu-chan…_

…

…

…

Miwa looked up at Shizuo burst through her front doors, looking thoroughly harassed. "… What's with you? Did your apartment burn down?"

He walked straight up to her and slammed his hands down on the counter, cracking it. "What the _fuck_ did you do to Izaya?" he growled.

"Orihara-san?" Miwa kept a mildly cool look on her face. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Shizuo-kun."

"Don't play dumb! Izaya just told me – "

"Mm? You saw Orihara-san? Did you apologize properly?"

"I did! And he…" Shizuo's face suddenly turned pink. Miwa gazed at him and noticed the smallest trace of blood on his bottom lip. That and such an expression on the blonde's face…

She burst out laughing. "Oh, no way!" she crowed. "You guys _kissed_?"

Shizuo's face turned so red that it was almost purple. "H-How the fuck did you – "

"You've got blood on your lip. I'm guessing that since you're so awkward at apologizing you made it sound like a confession and got Orihara-san's hopes up. Then since he was still clinging on to his hopes and with a little push from my influence, he kissed you. Was it twice?"

Shizuo went slack-jawed. "How…"

"I didn't use hidden cameras, the whole situation is written on your face."

Shizuo touched his face subconsciously before coming back to his senses. "So you _did_ do something. You just said that Izaya was under your influence. What does that mean?"

"Oh, did I say that? I don't remember," Miwa chuckled, turning away to pick up a sticky bun.

"YOU REMEMBER PERFECTLY WELL – " Shizuo was cut off once again as Miwa stuffed the bun in to his mouth and a flood of vanilla and cinnamon sweetness spread across his palate.

"Relax, I didn't do anything bad. This is for your sake just as much as Izaya's," Miwa said cheerfully. She patted Shizuo on the head gently and smiled. "At any rate, good job apologizing. Be a good kid and don't piss others off anymore."

Shizuo, his attention successfully diverted, scowled and seated himself on a barstool. "He's usually the one to piss me off, not the other way around," Shizuo grumbled. "And did you just call me a kid?"

"Your taste in food is like a brat's you know?"

"HEY!"

The day was peaceful and slightly breezy, as if mocking the future tragedies that would soon come.

…

…

…

Almost a week later, Izaya curled up in a fetal position on his new couch and stared at the floor. Namie didn't bother with him – Izaya was weird like that sometimes. But she had to admit that she had never seen him act like this before, and it unnerved her a little. The apartment was almost too quiet without him cackling over one thing or another. She reached for the remote to the TV – maybe he'd see something that would interest him and he'd liven up again.

Not that she was trying to cheer him up or anything.

The TV flickered on to the news channel and Izaya's eyes flicked over to the screen, only to shoot up from his position in a flash.

Namie at first thought that her plan had worked, then noticed the look of blank dread on her boss's face. It was an unusual expression – showing apathy and yet showing worry.

"You, what…"

**"A plane crash was reported yesterday at 15:47 yesterday. Among the passengers there were 83 injured and 26 killed. The deceased include Orihara Shirou and his wife Orihara Kyouko…"**

The rest of the report was lost on both Namie and Izaya. Namie stared at Izaya, wondering how he would take this information.

"… Izaya…"

"Goodness, that's unfortunate, isn't it?"

Izaya spoke in a steady voice though his face now contained only a blank stare.

"Izaya – "

"I suppose this would make me an orphan now. I'll probably have to take care of Mairu and Kururi until they're of legal age. What a pain," Izaya chattered, getting off the couch and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Namie called after him. "… Are you alright?"

Izaya looked back and in a brief moment of insanity, she thought that he was about to cry before it was replaced by a cheerful smile. "Ikebukuro. I have to check if my little twin terrors heard the news," he said. "And I'm fine, Namie-san. I'm happy that one of my beloved humans cares about me~"

He left and Namie stared after him, before sighing softly and turning off the TV.

_Idiot. Since when did you become such a bad liar?_

* * *

Next Chapter: Life is Drama

This idea... yeah, it took me a while to work out in my head. Hopefully I'll be able to put it all down on paper - I mean Word.

Also, I'm not entirely sure how Vorona is supposed to talk. She tells things 'literally' as she sees it, and she usually adds something like "I believe" "I feel" or "I request", or something like that. I'm not really familiar with it since all I have are the light novels to go off of. If anyone else knows a better way to write her speech, feel free to tell me!


	8. Life is Drama

**anime1hinata:** Miwa is supposed to be a bit of a Mary Sue, LOL. She's the seemingly perfect girl that Shizuo turns down for Izaya... don't we all want to see that happen? I do love Miwa quite a bit though. She's one of my favorite OCs. And trust me, she _has_ her flaws. Besides her weight, I mean.

**Chatterbox5038:** OMIGOOOOD, thank you so much! T_T. I'm actually pretty disappointed that I don't get more reviews because I thought this plot wasn't bad. Plus I don't think that my grammar is bad... I'm guessing it's because of the Mary Sues and Gary Stus? I'm glad that you like it though, you make me happy! :D

**Dani3438:** Your lovey-dovey brother-sister scene is throughout the chapter as you have requested, madam. :D I hope you enjoy the fluff.

**Rosi345:** No spoilers, please~

* * *

"Hmm? Oi, aren't those Orihara Izaya's younger sisters?"

"Ah?" Shizuo looked in the direction where Tom was pointing. He, Tom, and Vorona were on their usual daily rounds. Mairu and Kururi sat across the street, backs to them. "Oh, you're right. Strange. Why are they so quiet?"

"Eh? That's not how they usually are?"

"Not at all," Shizuo said, his observant eyes taking in their slumped, almost pathetic looking figures. "… I wonder if the fact that my brother actually has a girlfriend just hit them?"

"It's a little too late for that," Tom glanced at him. "… Why don't you go talk to them?"

"Huh?"

"You seem worried. I've got Vorona, so feel free to take the day off," Tom waved at him dismissively. Shizuo looked at Vorona, who gave him a tiny nod and gently pushed him forward. Shizuo rubbed the back of his head and sighed loudly.

"Fine. I'll go."

"Haha! I knew that you were worried!"

Shooting Tom a halfhearted glare, he strode over to the twins who were sitting close to each other on a wooden bench outside of a department store. They had their hands clasped together and their heads were bowed.

"… Mairu? Kururi?" Shizuo asked cautiously. If he didn't know any better, he would say that the twins were… _depressed_?

Both girls looked up and Shizuo was shocked at what he saw. Their identical faces were streaked with identical tear trails, lower lips out and quivering. He stared at them wordlessly for a moment before suddenly Mairu burst in to loud wailing.

"WAAAAH! SHIZUO-SAAAAN! WAAAAH!"

Jumping back in surprise, Shizuo could only blink as both girls hurled themselves from the bench and latched onto his middle, crying into his shirt. He gaped, wordlessly, before finally placing a hand on either of their heads and murmuring quietly. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Our… our parents…" Mairu whimpered, her words muffled by Shizuo's torso. "They… they were…"

Shizuo blinked again. He couldn't help it. It was so rare when the twins or Izaya brought up their parents. A funny feeling of dread settled down somewhere in his stomach, and he could only stroke the girls' heads as they sobbed.

"… I see that the news has spread," came a familiar yet not familiar voice behind him. Shizuo breathed in the scent that suddenly wafted past his nostrils and whirled around, almost dislodging both girls in the process. As a result, only Kururi was thrown off and she was caught by the thin but strong arms of her brother.

Shizuo blinked for the third time that day. The reason Izaya's voice had sounded so strange at first was because it had sounded tired and worn. _Izaya_ looked tired and worn. There was something in his eyes that almost seemed… broken. Something identical to the look in both Mairu and Kururi's eyes. Kururi stared up wordlessly at her brother and then buried her face in to Izaya's jacket. Izaya – Shizuo swore that he was seeing things – bent down and wrapped his arms around his little sister, letting her cry on his shoulder. He stroked her back soothingly and murmured soft words of encouragement. "It's okay. It'll be alright."

Mairu detached from Shizuo and ran to her brother as well. Izaya unwrapped one arm from Kururi and wrapped it against Mairu instead as she sobbed on his other shoulder. People stopped and stared and Shizuo couldn't blame them. It was a rare sight to the public eye, the Orihara siblings all together and not fighting.

"Mairu and Kururi, the two of you will stay over my place today, okay? Since our house will probably be reclaimed by someone else…" Izaya was speaking quietly to them about matters that Shizuo didn't understand the reason for.

Of course, this pissed him off.

"Iiii-zaaa-yaaa-kuuun…" Shizuo gripped the park bench that Mairu and Kururi had previously been sitting on. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

Izaya looked at the blonde impassively and suddenly Shizuo was reminded of their many fights that they used to have. _Used to. _The past tense felt strange even in his mind.

"Is that really the right way to ask something, Shizu-chan?" Izaya asked lightly, still patting both girls on the head. "… I really don't have time to play with you today. I'm taking my sisters home with me."

Shizuo watched as he three siblings walked away, still bewildered. He threw down the bench, breaking it, and stalked back to where Tom and Vorona were.

"Didn't I tell you to take the day off?" Tom gently scolded him, even before the blonde opened his mouth to speak. "Anyway, go see Miwa or something. You look like you could use some cheering up."

"But…"

"Agreed. I pray that your feelings lighten," Vorona said in her usual monotone voice. Shizuo stared at her and she stared right back. Then Shizuo just sighed.

"… Alright, fine," he mumbled. And after he patted Vorona on the head, he walked away towards _Angels' Delicacies_. Vorona and Tom watched him go.

"I believe Shizuo-senpai is agitated due to more than Orihara Izaya's submissive behavior."

Tom shook his head and sighed. "You know, Vorona, you're right. Lately Shizuo just hasn't been himself at all ever since Miwa came to town."

A niggling suspicion worked its way through his mind but almost as fast it came it was stamped down by a sudden subconscious urge to push it away. For a moment Tom thought that Miwa was speaking inside of his mind but the feeling was gone as soon as it appeared. Scratching his head in bewilderment, he shook it off and turned around to go find his next client. "Let's go, Vorona."

"Yes."

…

…

…

"_PUT THAT TABLE DOWN. NOW._"

Shizuo immediately stopped. In his anger, he had impulsively grabbed one of the tables outside of the café and was about to hurl it onto the ground. In a flash Miwa was there and was now looking just as angry.

"I don't know what happened. I don't know why you suddenly have the urge to throw around a $500 table, but I swear that if you don't put that down this instant, I will _jump_ on you. And even for you, you might not get just a few broken bones!"

Shizuo flinched, even in his rage, and reluctantly put down the table as gently as he could. Miwa snatched it away from him and then pushed him into the café, down in to the basement, in to her room. She had a small kerosene stove which she used to boil hot water and added in a teabag. She gave a mug, steaming hot, to Shizuo who was sitting on her bed. "Okay," she said when they both were settled. "What's going on?"

Shizuo scowled. "The flea is acting weird. His sisters are acting weird too. Hell, the parents are probably acting weird overseas. Is it an apocalypse or that time of the month?"

"One, you still haven't explained anything. Two, if you were trying to make a joke, that wasn't really that funny," Miwa frowned at him. "So how was Orihara-san acting weird?"

"He's…" Shizuo groped around for the right words. "I think he's _depressed_."

"… What's so unusual about that? Humans get depressed."

"The flea _isn't_ supposed to get depressed!" Shizuo squeezed the mug too hard and it shattered in his hand, spilling the tea over his uniform. Oddly enough, Shizuo didn't seem to care. "The little louse is always so annoyingly happy-go-lucky and is always stirring up trouble! Like yesterday when – "

"When you _kissed_?" Miwa drawled out the last word and Shizuo's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"NO!" he barked, but it was too late. Embarrassing images of yesterday's scene flashed through his mind and he growled angrily. Izaya's lips, slightly chapped and surprisingly soft, pressed greedily against his own…

Miwa jumped as Shizuo gave an outright scream of frustration. "Shizuo-kun?"

"Fuck!" Shizuo snarled, burying his face in his hands. "What's wrong with me?"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Why the hell did I just think that it felt good!?"

"What felt good – oh, the kiss? What did it feel like?" Miwa's eyes sparkled mischievously and threw an arm around Shizuo's shoulder to get more in his face. "Hey, did it really feel good? Tell me, tell me!"

The blonde shrugged her arm off and glared at the ground, not trusting himself to speak otherwise. At Miwa's persistant nagging, he finally gave in and sulkily muttered, "It felt… like there was something there."

"Other than tongue?"

Shizuo cuffed Miwa on the head, knocking her off the bed and causing the whole room to tremble. "_Other_ than that!" he roared, his face the same color as a cherry. "It felt… it felt like the same when we used to kiss! When we were in middle school…" he paused. "Actually… yeah, it felt exactly the same. Why is that?"

"I have two theories," Miwa said, painfully picking herself up from the ground. Shizuo grabbed her around the middle and hoisted her back up. "The first being that Orihara-san is just as good at kissing as me."

Shizuo rolled his eyes.

"The second being that you felt the Spark."

"The what?"

"Don't you read – right, you wouldn't read or watch romance stuff. The 'Spark' is what people often refer to as that feeling they get when they kiss the person they believe to be 'the one', as in the one they're deeply in love with, or the one who they are destined to be with."

Shizuo frowned. What she said didn't sink in until he realized what 'the one' meant. Then he stood up and shouted at her, "THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY THAT ME AND THAT SHITTY FLEA ARE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER! Dammit, Miwa, you sound like Karisawa!"

"Who?"

"There's no way in hell!" Shizuo continued angrily. "Just no!"

"And why not?" Miwa challenged him.

"I feel the same 'Spark' when I kiss you!" Shizuo protested. "And it's 'the one', not 'the two'! So there's no fucking way that I love the flea! I HATE HIS GUTS!"

"So kiss me."

"I – What?" Shizuo froze, completely shocked. Miwa was staring at him with her gray eyes flashing, completely serious.

"Kiss me. If you feel the same way then I'll acknowledge that you're right," Miwa challenged yet again. "But if you don't…"

Shizuo gritted his teeth. He thought about it and it actually seemed pretty reasonable. So what if he kissed Miwa? He had dated her and there was nothing to lose. After all, he convinced himself, there was no way that he was in love with Izaya. So kissing Miwa wouldn't do any harm. In fact, he sort of liked the idea.

So he leaned over to her and pushed her down gently. She complied and laid on her back on the bed, her gray eyes still challenging and defiant. He glared down at her and pressed his hands on either side of her head.

"Oh, get on with it, you ass," Miwa rolled her eyes. "There's no need for ceremony."

Shizuo growled at her and reminded himself to be gentle. He bent down and their lips touched and melded together. Miwa's arms bent at the elbow and clenched at his bartender uniform as she kissed back. Somewhere along the way, tongue was involved and then Shizuo was pulling back and seated himself at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.

Miwa sat up, touching her lips and contemplated out loud, "… You know, your face is a total waste on you. Just from that I could tell that you haven't had a girlfriend since me."

"MIWA!"

"Haha!" Miwa laughed cheekily, then leaned against Shizuo's broad back. "… You didn't feel the 'Spark', did you?"

Shizuo hesitated, eyes still glued to the floor as if the world's answers were written there, and shamefacedly muttered, "… No…"

He hadn't felt what he had expected to feel. Miwa was a good kisser – he himself was mediocre at best – so it had felt good. Better than that, it had felt great. But it wasn't the same as the time of when they were dating in middle school. And it definitely didn't feel the same as the time he kissed Izaya. When he had kissed Izaya, even though he had actually been terrified out of his wits, something had felt _right_. It was more than just a kiss – it was the fuse for a future firework.

"So what does this mean?" he muttered, trying to work things out in his mind. Love and hate were so very different, but they were the two sides of the same coin. One would still feel the strongest emotion – whether it was love or hate – for the other. In Shizuo and Izaya's case, it seemed that the coin had been forcefully flipped.

The one who forcefully flipped the coin grinned and wrapped her arms around Shizuo in a backwards hug. "You need to figure it out yourself," she murmured. "I can only help up to here."

Shizuo gripped her arms – hastily weakening his grip when she winced – and muttered, "… Thanks, I guess," he pondered his next move from here. Maybe he should go see Izaya and kiss him again to make sure… no, what was he thinking!? No way in hell!

Miwa seemed to sense his inner conflict. "Shizuo-kun?"

Shizuo opened his mouth to talk when there was a knock on the door. Taina poked her head in timidly, looking very, very worried. "Manager? Could I talk to you?"

"Is it something private?" Miwa asked, puzzled. Shizuo half-stood, ready to leave if he needed to. He really wanted a smoke right now anyway…

"Well…" Taina hesitated, her violet eyes worried. "I think that Heiwajima-san should hear this too…"

"Then go ahead and tell us," Miwa replied impatiently. She crossed her legs Indian-style on the bed and folded her arms as well, tapping her elbow in an exaggerated form of patience. "What is it?"

"Orihara-san…" Shizuo's ears perked up but he was put off by the nervous tone in Taina's voice. "Orihara-san… it seems that his parents were coming back to Japan yesterday, but the plane…" her voice faltered. Shizuo's bad feeling turned to full-on dread.

Miwa's entire body had frozen, her eyes going wide. "What happened?" she whispered faintly.

"The plane… the plane didn't make it," Taina murmured. "Orihara-san's parents have passed away."

There didn't seem to be anything more that she could say and she quickly excused herself and backed out of the room. Shizuo and Miwa remained there, stuck to their positions like wax dolls. Shizuo was scarcely breathing. Somehow, instead of making the situation with Izaya more clear, it made it more muddled.

_The flea wouldn't care about his parents dying, would he?_ he thought dazedly. _He never seems to care about what happens to his sisters, and they don't care what happens to him. But today the girls cried and Izaya comforted them…_

Miwa was the first to recover. Swallowing several times, she whispered, "I guess that explains what you told me about Orihara-san. But why… this wasn't according to…" she trailed off, seemingly unable to say anything more. Shizuo stared at the door, where the bringer of bad news had come and left. He felt… surprisingly empty. He wasn't sure what to think. Whenever something went wrong, he usually got mad at Izaya because Izaya was normally the cause. But now he wasn't the cause anymore and Shizuo just felt confused. For the first time in his life, in a situation to be angry, he didn't have anyone to be angry at.

He thought of Izaya, who had quietly taken his sisters away with him, and wondered how he was doing. Was he crying now? Breaking down? Or was he just pretending that it didn't hurt? Shizuo _knew_ that it hurt. He had seen the look in Izaya's eyes.

He stood suddenly and said, "I'm going to Izaya's," before rapidly exiting. Miwa had only blinked and already the blonde was gone. Then she blinked again and Yamikage seemed to materialize next to her.

"The job is done," he said quietly. Miwa's face, previously upset and desperate, was now serenely smiling.

"Well done, Yamikage," she said softly. "I suppose that this would be a bit harsh, but I think that it was well done. Like this, their relationship should progress," a strange light shone in her gray eyes, a light that no one but Yamikage had ever seen before: the light of madness. Her grin grew wider. "I can't start another stage until I see the results of this one. Go ahead and wait on standby."

"Yes, Manager," Yamikage murmured. Then, before he left, he hesitated. "Manager?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is this okay?"

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Well, you… that kiss…."

Miwa turned a little pink and her expression was shy. "Oh, you saw that?"

"You… you still like Heiwajima-san, don't you?"

The light of madness left Miwa's eyes and they instead turned sad. "… Perhaps a little," she admitted with a soft smile. "But he doesn't belong to me."

Yamikage stared at her for a moment longer before quietly saying, "Good night, Manager."

"Good night, Yamikage."

…

…

…

Izaya quietly tucked Mairu and Kururi in bed. They clung to each other in their sleep, tear tracks still running down their faces. He slipped out as silently as possible and shut the door.

"Are they asleep?" Namie called softly from downstairs. Izaya peered over the balcony railing. Namie, to Izaya's surprise, had stayed in his apartment and waited for him to come back. He smiled at her, and it was an almost pitiful smile.

"They're asleep," he murmured back and stepped downstairs. "You may go home now, Namie-san. Thank you for staying."

Namie stared at him for a while with a long, calculating look, and then exhaled exasperatedly. "… Izaya, even if you don't want to be a human, you are one. It's okay to cry like one."

Izaya's little smile turned almost disdainful – it was a shadow of his trademark smirk. "Are you going to stay here and 'comfort' me, Namie-san?" he exaggerated the word 'comfort', letting her know exactly what he had in mind. Namie wrinkled her nose at him.

"I will only sleep with my brother," she stated unashamedly, before turning to go. "… Good night, Izaya."

"Good night, Namie."

She left and Izaya was alone in my living room. He sank down on to the couch and stared at the ground, wondering what to do from here. He could pay for Mairu and Kururi's education fees with no problem, since the deaths of his parents came with a hefty insurance. The house may be reclaimed but if Izaya pulled all the 'right' strings, then he could easily keep the house and let his sisters live there as they had been doing. Though since they were now emotionally-unstable, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to let them come by from time to time. He thought that it was funny of how he only started acting like a big brother when his sisters were the only immediate family that he had left. It wasn't irony but it was just as cruel.

He sat down at his desk and tilted the chair back to stare at the ceiling. He wondered if this was the so-called 'karma' that he was experiencing. Was this the world's way of telling him that he had interfered too much with others' lives? There were many people in this city alone that he had influenced in some way. Mikado, Anri, Kida, Namie, Celty, Shinra… Shizuo.

The moment he thought of the ex-bartender, a bitter smile spread across his face. Shizuo, his terrible monster. He remembered of how he was so jealous of Shinra for being so detached from humans to the point of falling in love with a monster. He had wished to be like Shinra, and now he was in love with his own monster. Was this also 'karma'?

When had it started? When had he fallen so hard for the monster of Ikebukuro? Somehow, even though the feelings had only been recently discovered, it felt as if he had possessed them forever. He pressed his head into his hands and sighed lowly. He tried to push the thoughts away and focus more on his family matters. He had to figure out what to do about the house and his sisters before anything else.

There was a knock at his door.

Izaya's head shot up. It wasn't too late – about nine o'clock at night – but Izaya had good reasons to not open the door. Perhaps it was yakuza, or some angry client, or somebody who wanted to kill him because he had ruined his or her life. None of those opinions would surprise him, and none of those opinions would entice him to let them into his apartment at this moment.

The knocking increased in volume until it sounded like outright banging. Scowling, Izaya glanced up at the bedroom to make sure that Mairu and Kururi were still asleep. There was no opening of the bedroom door, no heads popping out from the room, no 'Iza-niiiiiiii! Shut up down there!'.

The banging stopped and Izaya breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Whoever it was had gone away, it seemed.

Then there was a cracking noise and he heard the front door being torn open.

Immediately Izaya jumped up from his sitting position and grabbed his flickblade. He dashed stealthily towards the threshold of the living room and stood there, listening for whatever more noises there might be. There were soft footfalls and the sound of a rustling plastic bag. He frowned. Who could this person be?

There was only one way to find out. Making sure that his flickblade was visible, he crossed the threshold and called in a warning voice, "I'll tell you now, I'm armed."

There was a brief interlude between footsteps and then a soft sigh. "You stupid flea. It's me."

Izaya's heart thudded against his ribcage. He spoke faintly, "… Shizu-chan?"

"Who else could open your door like that?"

Izaya thought about it. Well, that was certainly true…

Shizuo came in to his vision and Izaya stared. He had changed out of his usual bartender suit and wore a dark dress shirt under a matching blazer and black pants. Even his socks were black. In his hand he held a plastic bag of what appeared to be beer. There were no feelings of hatred, nor any signs of aggressiveness… just Shizuo, standing there a bit nervously, holding a plastic bag.

"Why are you wearing that?" was the first thing that Izaya could think of to say. Shizuo gave him a strange look.

"What else do you wear during mourning period?"

Izaya felt something akin to grief rise in his throat and he choked it back down. He smiled. Tremulously, but he smiled. Shizuo held out the bag of beer to him and he took it. "Thank you," he said softly. Even though he felt horrible vulnerable at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little touched. "You bought this for me?"

"Yeah," was the gruff reply.

"Even though you hate alcohol?"

"I bought some red apples too," Shizuo shrugged. "And some milk for me."

Izaya blinked. Red apples were his favorite fruit. How did Shizuo know that?

"Shinra told me," Shizuo said, correctly interpreting the look on the brunette's face. Izaya forced out a laugh.

"An offering for a shinigami then?" he teased weakly.

"No, you ass, a gift for a flea. Just quit yammering and let me in already."

Izaya wanted to point out that Shizuo had already let himself in but he decided to let it go, just this once. He lead the way to his living room and sat down on the couch. After a moment of awkwardness, Shizuo sat down next to him. There was a space of eight inches between them, but somehow to Izaya it felt like an insurmountable wall. Taking his mind off of it, he reached in to the bag and pulled out several beers and a carton of milk and placed them on the coffee table. He laughed quietly. "Such an odd choice."

"Shut up," Shizuo replied shortly, reaching for the carton. Izaya stalled him.

"Don't drink from the carton, even if you are a protozoan. I'll get you a cup and cut these apples," Izaya got up and took the apples with him. Shizuo rolled his eyes and complied.

His eyes roamed the office and absentmindedly fingered the material of the new couch below him. He remembered the girls and asked where they were.

"They're sleeping in my room," Izaya called back, busily chopping the apples. "They insisted on sleeping with me tonight. Such troublesome little girls," he came back with the apples, cut in to the shape of bunnies, on a platter. He handed Shizuo a toothpick, which he took. Shizuo raised an eye at the choice of decoration and Izaya smiled a little sheepishly.

"Old habit. Whenever Mairu and Kururi wanted to stay over they always insisted that I cut the apples like this. When we were young, they wanted the same thing too," Izaya reseated himself on the couch. Six inches.

Izaya had handed Shizuo a black mug, which he now poured full of milk. Shizuo gulped it down and watched as Izaya reached for a beer. Popping the lid, Izaya downed the entire can in a single lift to the lips. Then he reached for another one and did the same thing. And another, and another.

Shizuo hastily stopped him from doing the same with the fifth one. Right now Izaya had already gotten two pink spots on his cheeks and his eyes were slowly glazing over. Reaching over, Shizuo gently removed the beer from Izaya's reach, sweeping it to more of his side of the table. Even though he had planned on letting Izaya guzzle all the alcohol, the pace had alarmed him.

Five inches.

Izaya stared at Shizuo for a moment. "You know," he softly murmured, "it's a little surprising, actually. Since my parents were almost always overseas, I had to take care of Mairu and Kururi all the time. Think of it – a ten year old left alone at home with his infant sisters! It's practically abandonment, don't you think?" he giggled a little insanely and reached across Shizuo for the beer again. Again, Shizuo stopped him.

Three inches.

Izaya continued to talk, even as he still longingly stretched for the alcohol. His torso was practically laying in Shizuo's lap while his rear remained planted two inches from Shizuo's legs. Shizuo, using the minimum needed amount of strength, gently pulled Izaya away and forced him to sit upright again. Izaya pouted a little.

"I guess it was sort of my fault. I had proved my intelligence at an early age and my parents counted on me to be able to look after myself. I guess adding a pair of baby girls didn't derail them from believing that I could do anything," Izaya made another attempt for the beer. Shizuo swatted his hands down and Izaya winced, examining the red mark on the back of his hand.

"But I never really had the use for 'parents', so maybe that's why I never considered them to be 'parents'. And Mairu and Kururi were more of nuisances than little sisters. Maybe that's why I didn't consider them to be family either."

Shizuo wondered where Izaya was going with this. All of a sudden Izaya had virtually crawled on to his lap and was now sprawled over his thighs, giggling drunkenly. Izaya had a rather happy look on his face.

"Zero inches," Izaya muttered and Shizuo cocked his head in confusion. Izaya pressed his hands against Shizuo's chest, under his blazer, and kept talking.

"Then I met Shinra and I guess that you can say that he's been the first person that I could consider a friend instead of just another human. Dotachin was the same way. But you were different."

Shizuo gave an inward groan. _Here we go_, he thought, preparing himself for an onslaught of nonstop reasons of why Izaya hated him. What Izaya did say, however, came as a major surprise.

"You were so different," Izaya murmured, running his hands over Shizuo's clothed chest. "You weren't a human because you performed such inhuman feats. If you weren't a human than you were a monster, it's as simple as that. But your ingrained nature is so disgustedly human that nobody could really say that you're a monster," Izaya paused. "Okay, people do say it, but they're ignorant. You act more human than anybody, but you're more of a monster than anybody," Izaya sighed. "I don't like the way you make me so confused," he grumbled softly. "I don't like it that you make me feel the way I do either."

Shizuo suddenly had to swallow; his throat had gone dry. Izaya's own confession went unnoticed by the informant and he seemed very keen on getting Shizuo to take off his blazer. The bodyguard complied, slowly because he suddenly felt clumsy, and Izaya stared at him. The black dress shirt fitted Shizuo perfectly and emphasized his slender muscles – it had been a birthday gift from Kasuka. Izaya moved himself so that he was now straddling Shizuo's lap, and then started to play with Shizuo's blond hair. The color was fading some. "You need to re-dye your hair, Shizu-chan," Izaya muttered.

Shizuo opened his mouth to retort but then Izaya had his lips pressed against his and it was all he could do to not shove him away.

It was a chaste kiss, but a long one and Izaya's whole body got into the act, wrapping around him until they were chest to chest, legs around the taller man's waist, and arms around his shoulders. The kiss grew more feverish and sloppy and then Izaya licked at Shizuo's lips. He didn't seem to expect a reply and merely carried on by himself as Shizuo sat there like an inert doll.

He hated to admit it, but Shizuo did indeed feel the 'Spark' which Miwa had been talking about. Something about the way Izaya kissed him just felt _right_, and it didn't help that Izaya was a good kisser. It made him frown at the thought of the flea kissing multiple other people.

Izaya felt the frown and pulled away, looking at Shizuo questionably. _He's drunk_, Shizuo told himself. _He's drunk, and he may do something that he may later regret. I have to stop that._

"No good…?" whispered Izaya, licking his lips. "Shizu-chan…" he leaned forwards again to kiss him and this time Shizuo gingerly kissed back, putting a hand gently on the back of Izaya's neck and the other at the small of his back. So much for stopping him.

God, that felt good. Izaya was making breathy little noises into the kiss and it was driving Shizuo mad. Part of him still wanted to shove Izaya away but another part of him just wanted to keep kissing him. Izaya licked at his lips again and Shizuo saw no reason to not open his mouth and let him in.

Their tongues danced a sensual dance together and Shizuo felt Izaya practically melt in his arms. Shizuo's tongue found a sensitive spot in Izaya's mouth and the informant actually let out a small whimper. Neither was sure of how it happened, but Izaya's back was gradually pushed down on to the cushions of the couch and Shizuo had his entire body pressed on top of him. Izaya giggled at one point, murmuring, "Shizu-chan is heavy," before Shizuo shut him up with another kiss. Now his hands were intertwined with Izaya's and pressed down a little above the informant's head. He momentarily detached himself from Izaya's lips and, ignoring the whine of displeasure, rained little kisses down on the brunette's beautiful face. On his cheeks, forehead, eyelids, chin… he kissed each spot thoroughly and slowly moved downwards until he had his lips against Izaya's neck.

Shizuo hesitated here, trying to catch his breath. His mind was swimming with hazy thoughts but he really didn't want to think right now, he just wanted to _feel_. Izaya squirmed under him, feeling both hot and ticklish from the blonde's breath on his throat.

Izaya felt the ex-bartender give little suckling kisses along his neck and he moaned softly, tilting his head to give the other more access. Eventually Shizuo found his Adam's apple and nipped at it, causing Izaya's hips to jerk. Shizuo suddenly came to with a shocking realization – he was hard.

Izaya was hard too, but the brunette hadn't seemed to notice. Right now he was trying to kiss Shizuo again, craning his neck to connect their lips once more. Shizuo, however, pulled away and sat up, trying to figure out how to discreetly hide his boner. Izaya sat up too, looking dazed and confused.

"Shizu-chan?" he whispered, trying to move closer. Shizuo shifted away again and rapidly stood up.

"I-I have to go," Shizuo said, blindly reaching for his blazer and yanking it on, nearly ripping it. He stumbled on his way out, as if he were the one drunk, and hurried to the front hall to put on his shoes. Izaya had followed him, still looking like a lost child.

"Will you come again?"

Shizuo looked up and saw the half-hopeful look on Izaya's face. He was almost touched when he remembered that Izaya was drunk and would probably not remember any of this the next morning. So he muttered a halfhearted, "Yeah," and quickly left, leaving an uncomfortable anticlimactic feeling in the air.

Izaya stared after Shizuo, utterly confused. He meandered slowly back to the living room before deciding to take a shower. For some reason, his lower half felt oddly tight…

…

…

…

Izaya came back out of the shower completely sober. That was what happened when you undressed and then looked down to realize that you had a hard-on. This was when having the ability to remember _every single little thing_ even when drunk came as a hindrance Right now Izaya just wanted to curl up and join his parents in Heaven or the afterlife or whatever came after death.

To his surprise, when he came out of the bathroom, Kururi was curled up on the couch. It was rare to see her without Mairu. He crept down the stairs to her and peeked over the back of the couch to check if she was asleep. She wasn't.

"Onii-san…" ("I can't sleep, Onii-san.")

"What about Mairu?" he asked, sitting down next to her. She arranged herself so that her head was in his lap and he stroked her short brown hair.

"Light…" ("Out like a candle in a wind tunnel.")

Izaya sighed. It was actually pretty difficult for anyone but Mairu to figure out what Kururi was saying half the time. To top it off, Kururi spoke in shorter and shorter phrases when she was tired, making it more difficult to interpret.

"Shizuo-san…" ("Shizuo-san was here earlier, wasn't he?")

Izaya jolted, nearly causing his sister to bump her head. "What? Why do you say that?"

"… Kiss… drunk…" ("I saw the two of you making out on the couch. Onii-san was pretty drunk, huh?")

Izaya facepalmed. Was he really so wasted to not notice his own little sister peeping on him and the bodyguard. Kururi, however, seemed to be very calm about it. "… And you're alright with it?"

"Onii-san… happy… now…" ("If Onii-san is happy, then I don't think it should matter. I think we all need a little comfort right now.")

Izaya sighed softly and pulled Kururi up so that he was hugging her to himself and resting his chin on her head. "… Thank you," he paused. "But don't tell Mairu."

"Why…?"

"You know perfectly well why."

Kururi giggled and Izaya couldn't help but smile just a little. It was nice to hear her laugh again.

"AHHH! So sly!" came a sudden shout from upstairs. Both Kururi and Izaya looked up to see Mairu, stamping her foot and huffing indignantly at being left out. "Why does Iza-nii get to cuddle with Kuru-nee!? I want to cuddle with you too!"

"Then come down here. And stop yelling, you'll wake up our neighbors," Izaya scolded her lightly. Mairu scrambled down the stairs and practically tackled her brother from behind, nearly throwing him off the couch altogether. Kururi, however, clung on and stopped him from falling.

Mairu jumped over the couch's back and curled up at Izaya's other side, holding hands with her twin. The Orihara siblings made quite a sight, all cuddled together on the couch.

"You don't feel sad anymore?" Izaya asked, knowing perfectly well that the question itself was insensitive.

"Of course we're sad, Iza-nii!" Mairu exclaimed. "But there's no good in being hung up about it. If they're dead, then they're dead!" she added, Kururi nodding in agreement. Izaya sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Goodness, I've raised a horrible little pair, haven't I?" he murmured, then pressed a sleepy kiss on to each of their heads, making them pause in surprise. "Well, whatever. I'll figure out what to do with the house. And then your education fees are already taken care of, and…"

Izaya felt himself immediately feeling better as he talked. There was nothing like a moment of sibling affection to cheer one up. Even a guy like Izaya felt that way. As he spoke, he was aware of his sisters' heads drooping and finally their soft breathing against his chest. He chuckled quietly. He was trapped on the couch and he couldn't move, but somehow he just didn't care.

Something told him that everything would be alright. Though he wasn't the type to leave things up to chance, he thought that maybe just this once, that something was right.

Everything would be alright.

* * *

Next Chapter: Bloom

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's a little sappy and kind of depressing. But hey, life really is drama, albeit a rather cruel and unusual one.

I firmly believe that Kururi is Izaya's favorite sister because compared to Mairu she's actually more 'normal' and seemingly more humane. Also, she's not as loud which is probably a bonus in Izaya's book. Mairu seems more similar to Shizuo, constantly attacking him, so she's probably regarded as a pain in the arse, LOL.


	9. Bloom

**Maru de Kusanagi:** Drunk Izaya = Cutie Izaya in my book~

**Lame Xcuse:** Oh good, I thought I lost you! The smut... will probably come later on. Somehow I'm not really comfortable with writing self-pleasure scenes though... Although I think the next chapter will be more steamy.

**Chatterbox5038:** I'M GLAD THAT SOMEONE ACTUALLY APPRECIATES ME REPLYING. You, my dear, just light up my day. :) And 'I'LL HILL HER'. 'Hill'? ... What? I'm assuming you meant 'kill', LOL. I LOVE YOU TOOOOOOO~

**Meep:** I'm glad you liked it! Please keep reading until the end!

**anime1hinata:** True, but... it's the Orihara siblings. They'll get over it quick. Shizaya fluff is _always_ kawaii~

**Dani3438:** Yep, I did my best! Any more requests? Anybody? LOL. Can't promise everything but I can make some leeway.

* * *

"SHIZUO! WATCH OUT FOR THAT – "

_CLUNK!_

"… pole…" Tom stared as the pole that Shizuo had bumped in to snapped in half and fell. Shizuo, looking rather dazed, blinked.

"Pardon me," he said gruffly, as if he were talking to a person, then walked on. This time, Tom _really_ panicked.

"SHIZUO! THE LIGHT IS GREEN! Vorona, stop him!"

The Russian woman dashed forward and snagged Shizuo by the belt and yanked him backwards, narrowly dodging getting hit by a car herself. Shizuo blinked and looked back at Vorona, who had a frantic expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked, patting her on the head. She blinked up at him, then looked at Tom for help.

Tom waved a hand in front of Shizuo's face. "Hey, are you okay? You've been completely out of it for a while now. Did something happen yesterday that you want to talk about?"

For some unexplained reason, Shizuo's entire face went scarlet and he quickly shook his head. Tom wasn't one to pry, and neither was Vorona, but both of them knew a certain someone who could probably get the answers out of him.

"Why don't you go see Miwa?"

…

…

…

"SHIZUO-KUN! WATCH OUT FOR THAT – "

_BANG!_

"… table…" Miwa winced as Shizuo swung his long legs and accidentally kicked a nearby table, sending it flying. She groaned. "Great, yet another one messed up…"

"Oh," Shizuo said vaguely, waving his hand. "Sorry about that, Miwa."

"It's fine," Miwa sighed. She gestured at Carsten to throw the table away – there was no use saving this one, it had cracked clean in half – and then stood in front of Shizuo, arms crossed. "Okay, so what's with you? Did something happen when you went to see Izaya yesterday?"

All at once, Shizuo's entire face turned pink and he shook his head.

"… Really?"

"NOTHING HAPPENED, DAMMIT!" Shizuo suddenly roared, scaring the wits out of the surrounding customers.

Miwa, Carsten, Taina, the customers, and even Yamikage hidden away in the kitchen had the exact same thought at the exact same time.

_… Something definitely happened…_

Miwa made an apology announcement before seizing Shizuo by the arm and dragging him away to the bar in the basement. Since it was daytime, there were no customers. She pushed him on to a barstool and got behind the counter. "Want a cocktail? You look like you could use one."

Shizuo blinked at her because Miwa knew better than to give him alcohol. She rolled her eyes at him impatiently.

"Don't look at me like that. You seem so tense, so I think that it would be best for you to loosen up a bit. Alcohol doesn't have that much effect on you, but I think it might be able to relax you a bit. You like chocolate, right? I'll give you something with chocolate liquor, so settle down."

Shizuo grumpily obeyed and watched as Miwa busily pulled out the ingredients to the aforementioned cocktail. She pulled out gin, chocolate liquor, and cream. He unconsciously licked his lips and watched as she mixed them together, calmly shaking the cocktail shaker and then pouring it out into a cocktail class. "It's an Alexander," she said, pushing it towards him, then turning to wash out her tools.

Shizuo sipped at it and sighed quietly. It was sharp due to the gin, but it also had a subtle chocolate taste underneath. He was enjoying it when Miwa turned around again.

"So?" she said, arms crossed. "What happened?"

Shizuo paused, then set his glass on the counter. "I…" he turned pink again. "I… kissed the flea again," the statement was so embarrassing that he averted his eyes. It was lucky that he did because Miwa's lips twitched into a grin before she could quickly hide it.

"And?" she asked casually, trying not to sound overly excited. She wondered how many details she could pull from this conversation. Shizuo's face turned a darker shade of red before he confessed so fast that Miwa had a hard time making out the individual words.

"I-saw-that-he-was-miserable-and-I-went-to-buy-him-some-alcohol-but-then-he-drank-too-much-and-got-drunk-and-then-he-told-me-that-I-made-him-feel-weird-and-we-ended-up-making-out-but-then-I-backed-out-and-left-and-he-was-drunk-so-he-shouldn't-remember-anything!"

"Umm… right," the woman said, almost dizzy from trying to wrap her mind around the quickly-spoken statement. "So then… you made out with him when he was drunk? Is that what you're so embarrassed about?"

"… Yes."

Miwa did a little fist pump under the counter. "So… what, it didn't feel good? No spark?"

Shizuo shifted nervously.

"Ah, so there was a spark."

"ANNOYING!" Shizuo exploded, suddenly shooting up from his chair and banging the counter, putting a fist-sized dent in to it. "I don't know why the fuck I did it! I hate the shitty flea and his shitty ways of playing around with people! Yeah! He probably was just doing this to fuck with me – "

"Sit down."

"Eh? Miwa?"

"_Sit down_."

Shizuo took a single look at her face and instantly sat down. He turned his eyes down to the dent in the counter and mentally berated himself for losing his temper again. Miwa's eyes were steely and she sighed. "So you still haven't learned."

"What?" Shizuo said stupidly. Miwa rolled her eyes at him.

"Shizuo-kun, do you remember the first time that you said that you liked me?"

For the umpteenth time today, Shizuo's face turned red. "W-What? What's this all about?"

"Do you, or do you not?"

"… Yes…"

Frankly, the memory was so embarrassing that he wished that he could forget about it. But against his will, the memory bubble slowly drifted to the surface of his mind and began to replay.

* * *

**_Shizuo didn't remember when he actually started to 'like' Miwa. But they were together so often, every school day, and it was when they also started going over to each others' houses and hanging out on the weekends that the dreams started. Shizuo had a hard time looking at Miwa in the eye, he felt so ashamed._**

**_ The actual thought of 'liking' her had never really crossed his mind. Ever since that time when he had hurt the kind young lady from the bakery (whom, though he never acknowledged it himself, was his first love), he had categorized himself as a monster and tried to keep everyone away. But Miwa slipped underneath his defenses and through his barriers and somehow managed to imprint herself on his life. She didn't seem to care about his strength or his bad temper. She still willingly walked home with him every day and still called him to invite him out on the weekends. _**

**_ But no, he had never thought that he 'liked' her. He had thought that maybe the lack of normal human life had started to take its toll on him and he was projecting it on the one best friend he had. He was, at least, grateful that he wasn't dreaming about Kasuka or Tom. _**That**_ would have been even more embarrassing._**

**_ Then came the most embarrassing time of his life – actually, no, Izaya would provide him with a lot more embarrassing times, but this was definitely up there. Miwa had come over to study with him for a science test which was coming up during the week. Shizuo wasn't a great studier. He fell asleep with the textbook over his face to block out the sun. Miwa hadn't bothered to wake him, thinking that they could at least spare twenty minutes for a nap._**

**_ When Shizuo woke up, he groggily remembered dream remnants of Miwa mouthing him and felt the ever familiar feeling of a boner and quickly sat up in horror, trying to shield it with his book. Miwa, however, had not even looked back. Though her face was turned away, Shizuo could see that her ears had turned pink. _**

**_ "Um," she had muttered shyly, "Don't you need to use the bathroom?"_**

**_ Shizuo uttered a garbled agreement and sprinted for the bathroom, slamming the door and nearly taking it off its hinges. He didn't even bother trying to get rid of his 'little friend', he just sat there on the toilet with his head in his hands and wondering if the earth would conveniently swallow him up. _**

**_ A couple minutes later, Kasuka had come knocking on the door and stated, in his usual monotone voice, that Miwa had left. Then he asked what was wrong and if he could help. The next thing Shizuo knew, he had flung open the door – really taking it off its hinges this time – and confessed everything to his younger brother by two years and finally concluding with "I don't know what's wrong with me!"_**

**_ Kasuka had stared at him, thoughts flowing behind those vacant eyes, and stated simply, "Doesn't that mean you're in love with her, Nii-san?"_**

**_ The simple and yet overpowering question brought the monster of Ikebukuro to a halt and he yelled, "T-There's no way in hell, IDIOT!" and quickly ran away to the shelter of his room. _**

**_ The next morning he apologized to Kasuka, who brushed it off, then asked if he should ask Miwa out. Kasuka was, after all, the one with more common sense. "Just do whatever you want to, Nii-san," Kasuka had advised. "But to tell the truth, I don't think she'll say no."_**

**_ Miwa only lived two blocks away, towards the direction of school. He waited outside of her house until she came out, saw him, and smiled and waved as if nothing had happened yesterday. _**

**_ As if she hadn't run out in total horrified embarrassment. _**

**_ "Mornin'," Shizuo said gruffly, trying to stare a hole in the ground. He saw her shoes, covering her feet which he knew were small and dainty. Come to think of it, almost everything about her was small and dainty. It was hard to believe that she weighed more than a bus._**

**_ Her feet didn't move. He glanced up and realized that she had a funny smile on her face, her hands resting on her hips, and a mirthful look in her eye. "Well?" she said, rather playfully. "Don't you have something to say to me?"_**

**_ He quickly looked back down. "What's there to say?"_**

**_ "Mmm, how about why you were saying my name in your sleep yesterday?"_**

**_ In his… _**OH GOD, **_what he wouldn't give for a hole in the ground to crawl into right now. A faint blush stained his cheeks and he said firmly to her shoes, "I don't know what you're talking about."_**

**_ "I see," was it his imagination, or did she sound disappointed? Her shoes turned and began to walk to school and he followed her quietly. Kasuka's advice went through his mind and he gulped and prepared himself for even more embarrassment. _**

**_ "Miwa?"_**

**_ She didn't stop or turn around. "Yes?"_**

**_ "… I like you."_**

**_ She didn't stop walking but she slowed down so that they were side-by-side. He felt her hand entwine in his and the faint brush of lips against his cheek. He found the courage to glance at her again and she a soft smile was blooming on her lips, making his stomach do flips. _**

**_ "Me too."_**

**_ The next day, the new of the two monsters of Ikebukuro were dating was spread through the city. Many mishaps and misunderstandings happened… but those were memories for another time._**

* * *

Miwa sighed. "You were so cute back then… and still in your horny phase."

"MIWA!"

She giggled and her gray eyes twinkled at him like two stars. Miwa had the most attractive laugh, Shizuo used to think, when they were teens. Now, for whatever reason, it just grated on his nerves. He leaned over so that his chin rested in his arms and glared at her balefully. "So, what does the first time I said that I liked you have to do with anything?"

Miwa smiled. "Well," she said, "maybe you haven't noticed yourself, but you're pretty dense, Shizuo-kun."

"… And?" Shizuo actually knew this. Both Tom and Kasuka had pointed this out for him multiple times to the point where he actually got it.

"Well, you're the type of person who doesn't even recognize his feelings until someone else tells you about it. Kasuka-kun was the one who told you, right?"

"Yeah, but how do you know that?"

"Kasuka-kun texted me about it," Miwa shrugged, though she looked highly amused at the memory. "Anyway, since you're so dense, I'll just tell you this now," she leaned over the counter, ignoring the fact that it creaked under her weight, and grinned a Cheshire grin. "I think you're in love with Orihara-san."

…

…

…

"Ah-CHOO!" Izaya sneezed, sniffling slightly. "Hm? Did I catch a cold?" he muttered to himself, reaching for the tissues on his desk. Mairu and Kururi were away at school, so it was just him and Namie for now. His secretary, who was behind him and shuffling some papers, turned and pressed a cool hand to his forehead.

"You feel fine," she said monotonously. She slammed down a pile of documents on his desk and went to the kitchen. "I'll make rice porridge or something if you're under the weather. Now hurry up and read those."

Izaya stared at the stack of papers before thumping down his head on them. He just couldn't concentrate today because the first thing he remembered when he woke up – his sisters were both still fast asleep in his lap, making him feel sore – was Shizuo hovering over him and pressing kisses to his face and neck. Just thinking about it made him…

"Hey. I said to read the documents, not sleep on them," he heard Namie scold him. He looked up at her and she frowned, only to press another hand to his forehead.

"… Hm, maybe you're sick after all. Your temperature went up all of a sudden."

Izaya gave a nervous cough and smiled as sickly as he could. "Perhaps… I need to use the restroom," he dashed away so fast that to Namie it almost looked like he had evaporated into thin air. She swore that she could see a dust trail in his wake – well, no, she was always the one who cleaned the place so there was no dust to kick up – but she had never seen Izaya move so quickly and frantically.

In the bathroom, Izaya was sitting on the ground, hunched over as he tried to calm himself down. He had never seen the need to touch himself before – admittedly there was no human who had ever made him have such a strong reaction – and he wasn't going to start now. A cold shower. Right. That's what he needed.

Right?

…

…

…

"SHIZUO! BE CAREFUL OF THAT – "

_CRACK!_

"… branch…" Tom groaned in frustration. Ever since his bodyguard had come back from _Angels' Delicacies_, he had been even more spaced out than before. How many things had Shizuo walked into and broken, like that poor tree branch that had snapped like a twig from Shizuo's head?

"Senpai," Vorona reached out to tug the back of Shizuo's vest to turn him around. He did and she ducked. Shizuo still hadn't let go of the branch.

"Oh, sorry Vorona," Shizuo apologized and threw away the branch. It flew a couple hundred meters away and caused a major traffic incident but none of them knew that yet. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I believe your constant unawareness implies possible illness."

"What? No, I'm not sick, I'm just kind of out of it today," he ruffled her hair like he always did and smiled at her. "I'm fine."

Then he turned around and promptly walked into a stop sign.

Tom sighed as he watched Vorona take Shizuo's hand and guide him around like a seeing-eye dog. "Honestly, I wonder what happened to him?"

Little did he know that it was in his best interest to remain unenlightened.

…

…

…

Shizuo wasn't on Cloud Nine, or Cloud One, or Cloud Gazillion. He was currently lost in his own thoughts has he mused over what Miwa had said earlier.

* * *

**_"I think you're in love with Orihara-san."_**

**_ Shizuo froze and the cocktail glass shattered under his overly firm grip. Alexander dripped over his clothes but right now he could care less. He stared at Miwa, uncomprehending. _**

**_ "Helloooo? Earth to Shizuo-kun? Helloooo?" Miwa called, a little mockingly, waving her hand in front of his face. Shizuo only came to his senses when his ex-girlfriend slapped him directly across the face._**

**_ "Hey!" he said, more in surprise than in pain, holding his cheek. _**

**_ "You weren't snapping out of it," Miwa shrugged. "But you're out of it now~"_**

**_ He glared at her, mocha eyes enraged. "What the fuck do you mean I'm in love with the shitty flea," he snarled. He had half-risen out of his chair with his hands clenched into fists. Miwa merely clicked her tongue lightly and smiled. _**

**_ "Shizuo-kun, did you like me even after we graduated?" Miwa questioned, throwing the blonde off track. _**

**_ "I – what?" he sputtered. _**

**_ "Did. You. Like. Me. Even. After. Graduation," Miwa enunciated slowly and clearly. Shizuo blinked and he looked down at the counter. Anywhere but those overly knowing gray eyes. _**

**_ "… Yes," he muttered. It wasn't quite a lie and it wasn't quite true either. Shizuo had remained determined that even if his feelings for Miwa had cooled off, she was still the only girl for him. Where else could he find someone who was able to stand up to his strength? Where else would he find a person who was equally feared by others? Who else would be unafraid to stand by his side? Even as these questions ran through his head, he realized in horror that there were two answers. One was Miwa. The other was…_**

**_ "You didn't like it, did you?" Miwa said, watching his expressions carefully. "Finding someone else who could make you happy. You were always the stubborn one, Shizuo-kun. That's why after meeting Orihara-san for the first time, you fell in love with him, but since you didn't want to love him, you changed the feeling to hate instead," she smiled softly. "I'm happy that you loved me so much, Shizuo-kun, but you're going to have to let me go."_**

**_ "But I _**don't**_ love him!" Shizuo was ready to rip his hair out in frustration. "I never did!"_**

**_ "You didn't think you loved me either until you started having wet dreams."_**

**_ "THAT DOESN'T COUNT!"_**

* * *

So now Shizuo was left with this bizarre assumption of Miwa's. So what, he fell in love with the flea at first sight but he decided to hate him instead?

_No,_ he realized as Vorona steered him around a park bench. _She meant to say that I realized I could fall in love with Izaya, but I didn't want to. So I changed love to hate and chased him around anyway,_ he watched as a little boy chased around his sister, teasing her with a giant beetle. _Is this what they mean by love and hate have a thin line between?_

_B-But I'm not saying that I actually love him or anything!_ he quickly corrected himself. _I'm just trying to work out what Miwa meant! That's all!_

But against his will, he thought of Izaya smiling – not the usual I'm-far-superior-to-you-smile, but the genuine smile he had seen during that night at _Angels' Delicacies_ when they had fallen asleep in the same bed. It had been, well… _cute_. On that day, something had bloomed within his heart…

He shook his head like a dog ridding its ears of water. What was wrong with him? Vorona looked back at him worriedly, and, before she could say anything, he gently stroked her hair in a gesture of comfort.

Perhaps more for himself than her.

…

…

…

"If you were sick in the first place, why on earth would you take a cold shower for so long?" Namie asked her boss exasperatedly. Izaya smiled a little sheepishly up at her from his position on the bed. He was lying down, well-tucked in by Namie, who had found him collapsed half-outside the bathroom. It had taken an hour of freezing cold water to calm him down but in return, he had caught a real fever.

Namie, who had a natural motherly nature due to taking care of her brother Seiji, had immediately forced him into bed with a thermometer, cold pack, and cold pills. Despite Izaya's protest of having work to do – of course he had to get a fever to motivate himself, the masochistic bastard – she had somehow made him promise that he would do no work until his temperature was normal again. How she did it, he wasn't sure.

"Some of it might have been brought on by the stress of your parents' deaths," Namie added as she tucked him in even more snuggly – if that were possible – to the point where he couldn't move. He squirmed about until he got one arm free and looked at Namie with 'really?' eyes.

"Who knows what you'll do," she answered the unspoken question. Then she turned on her heel and went out of the room, calling, "I'll make some rice porridge for you, so stay put and eat it like a good human for once in your life."

Izaya rolled his eyes and moved his free arm to grab his cell phone lying on the nightstand beside him. He'd better text Mairu and Kururi and tell them that he was sick. He smiled humorlessly. A couple days ago he would have never thought about telling them that he was weak and vulnerable, but now he was informing them about his condition like it was normal. It wasn't like old times where Mairu would… try to… kill him…

… On the second thought, maybe he would just tell Kururi.

…

…

…

"SHIZUO-SAAAAAAN!"

Shizuo felt something small and fierce jump onto his back and he reached back to grab Mairu by the collar and dangle her in front of him. "… What, you're fine already? What about your parents?"

"We got over it," Mairu said quite cheerfully. Shizuo frowned at her.

"You got over your parents' deaths the next day."

"Yup!"

"You're all happy and jumping around again."

"That's right~!"

"You don't really care anymore, do you?"

"Maaaaybe~"

"… Well, you are the flea's little sister," Shizuo put Mairu down and looked around. "Where's your sister?"

"Kuru-nee got a text the moment we spotted you so she's still back there answering it," Mairu pointed down the road towards Kururi, who was indeed standing there with her phone in hand, reading whatever was sent to her. Then she looked up and motioned to Shizuo – clearly not Mairu, _Shizuo_ – and made him walk over. Mairu made to follow, but Kururi shook her head at her. Shizuo raised an eyebrow.

She passed him her cell phone and he read the short message.

**Sick. I'd rather you not come or you'll catch it. If you do come, bring oranges with you. Namie-san also wants you to pick up some fish on the way back.**

This time Shizuo raised both eyebrows. "He's _sick_?" he said in surprise. Kururi nodded affirmatively. Shizuo scratched his head.

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

Kururi glanced at Mairu, whom she deemed too far away to hear anything, and then gestured for Shizuo to bend over so that she could whisper in his ear.

"Nii-san… kiss… go…?" ("I saw you kissing Nii-san yesterday. Do you want to go see him today?")

Shizuo abruptly pulled away and made a series of gaping motions. Kururi smiled her quiet smile and made a little 'shoo-shoo' motion at him. "Fruit… fish…" ("Don't forget to pick up some oranges and fruit on the way.")

"AHHHHH! Kuru-nee, what are you talking about so secretly!"

Kururi snatched back her cell phone and swiftly deleted the text. "Secret…" ("Don't worry about it, it's nothing.")

"Ehh!? Impossible! Kuru-nee is lying to me!"

Shizuo felt Kururi push him along and he went without really thinking about it, looking back at the twins like he still couldn't believe what just happened. He saw Kururi, still fending off Mairu's questions with one word answers, and just shook his head.

"Guess even she has to act like the older sibling, huh…"

* * *

Next Chapter: Fever

I used to believe that Mairu was the older sister because she was always the outspoken one before I realized that she was always calling Kururi 'Kuru-nee'. It was like a weird wake-up call.


	10. Fever

**anime1hinata:** Well, it didn't stop you from reading, so no harm done, LOL.

**Chatterbox5038:** You are _such_ a sweetheart, thanks! And, uh, it's 'appreciate', not 'allreciate'. I guessing that you're a really fast typist. ^^'

**Lame Xcuse:** I'm not, uh, exactly sure if this chapter contains 'smut' exactly, but it's definitely moved out of the rated T section, harhar. I'm glad that someone else is uncomfortable with self-pleasure... though I might need to write that later...

**Maru de Kusanagi:** In both body and mind, LOL. Well, in terms of body, Miwa wins hands down.

**YB Fan:** I read that somewhere too, but hell, that's what fanfiction is for. :P Though normally, I'm a really bad stickler to the original plot lines. Besides, Shizuo's middle school days were pretty much a mystery, other than the fact that he met Tom and became more feared throughout Ikebukuro. I'm glad that you like Miwa, because I like to make OCs as likable as possible. Best way to do that: DO NOT ROMANTICALLY PAIR UP WITH CANON CHARACTER. Or in Miwa's case: DO NOT MAKE THEM GET BACK TOGETHER. Easy as that, really, LOL.

**Hima-chaan:** Obsess over? Mine? OMIGAAAAAAWD! XD People like you make me happy. ^_^ Again, I'm glad that Miwa is a likable character. What about the rest of them (though admittedly they don't play big parts yet).

Sorry for this chapter being somewhat late. It's a bit short compared to the others but, uh, it's...

Rated M now...

*hides in the corner, mumbling* Eh? But it's not smut quite yet, since they didn't go beyond groping... but then it's too detailed to be rated T... um... *embarrassed beyond belief*

* * *

_Ding-dong!_

"Coming!" Namie called, going towards the front door. Izaya had mentioned that he told his sisters about his sickness. However, as she reached for the doorknob, now that she thought about it, didn't Izaya give them their own key…?

When she opened the door, she was faced with a blonde bartender with sunglasses who was definitely _not_ either Mairu or Kururi. She recognized him and briefly wondered if she should be worried. "… Maybe I help you, Heiwajima Shizuo-san?"

"Ah? Mmm… ahh, my bad, who are you again?" Shizuo asked with a frown. He definitely recognized her but he couldn't quite remember her name. Mami, or something like that.

"Yagiri Namie," the ex-pharmacist said, standing aside to let him in. Shizuo stepped in and while he was taking off his shoes, Namie was putting on hers.

"Going somewhere?" Shizuo asked her, not out of animosity but pure curiosity. Namie hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Izaya told me to go home. He doesn't like people seeing him in such a state," she said crisply before hurrying out. Of course it was a lie. The rice porridge was even ready for him in the kitchen. But she decided that if there was going to be a fight scene, she didn't want to witness the potential murder and be caught by the troublesome police.

Shizuo stared after her, frowning slightly. Hadn't Izaya sent a text message to Kururi telling her that Namie wanted her to pick up fish? He had actually bought the fish and oranges too, as well as more red apples just because. He shrugged. Izaya was a willful character after all. Maybe he had just changed his mind or something.

But Namie's words had confirmed that Izaya was sick. At first Shizuo thought that it could have been one of Izaya's jokes. Izaya just didn't seem to be the type to get sick in the first place. He was like a persistent flea, after all, just constantly jumping around and sucking the blood out of people. It made him realize, for once in a long time, that Izaya really was also a human.

Going to the kitchen, he put down the bag of fish and fruits and sorted them to put away in the fridge. After that was done, he headed up the stairs to Izaya's bedroom. Outside the door, he paused and gulped a little. He had… He had never been to Izaya's room before. It was the first time that he had ever come into the building without trying to kill him.

Izaya heard the door creaking open and he groggily lifted his head. "Namie? I heard you answer the door. Did my sisters… come…" he ended with his mouth hanging open as he realized that it wasn't Namie standing there. "Shi-Shizu-chan!? Why are you…"

"Kururi told me that you were sick," Shizuo coughed awkwardly. "She, uh, told me to pick up oranges and fish on the way. I also bought more red apples for you. Do you…" he trailed off, hesitant. It was like Shizuo didn't know how to care for a sick person – he was the only one in his entire household who didn't get sick, so he was like the immediate nurse – but this was Izaya, for crying out loud. How was he supposed to deal with him?

Izaya stared at him for moment while before finally finding his voice. "Okay," he said faintly, wondering if this was all just a fever-induced dream. If it was, then maybe he might as well jump Shizuo and get hot and heavy on the floor.

_Like hell!_ Izaya did a self-tsukkomi. Shizuo blinked at him before mumbling, "S'lright then," and ambled out. Izaya's reddish-brown eyes followed him and wondered if this was what it was like to have someone actually care.

Shizuo came back a couple minutes later with a bowl of Namie's rice porridge, seasoned with ginger, scallions, and white pepper. He also came back with chopped red apples and a ready peeled orange. The blonde set all of them carefully down on the nightstand and handed Izaya a spoon. "Here," he said awkwardly. Then he just sat there on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do next. Just watching Izaya eat seemed kind of creepy, even to him.

Izaya weakly reached for the porridge and scooped up a spoonful, but then his fingers trembled so badly that he dropped the utensil altogether. The blush on Izaya's cheeks grew darker and he determinedly reached for the spoon again before his hand was stilled.

"I'll do it," Shizuo offered, glad for something to do. Izaya's entire face went scarlet – and this time it wasn't the fever – and he quickly protested, but Shizuo grabbed the bowl and held a spoonful to the informant's mouth. "Just eat it, flea."

Izaya, rather humiliated, let his mortal-enemy-turned-love-interest feed him, keeping his reddish brown eyes on only the porridge. He ate what was given to him without protest, even though he really didn't feel that hungry in the first place.

When the spoon finally started to make scraping noises at the bottom of the bowl, Izaya snapped out of his little trance and quickly lay back down. "I'm full, Shizu-chan," he mumbled, turning his face away so that his embarrassment couldn't be seen. Shizuo noticed anyway and stiffly put the bowl back on the nightstand. Then they were only silent, the awkwardness making itself even more apparent.

"You need to eat the fruit too," Shizuo said after about two straight minutes of silence which felt like an eternity. He picked up an apple slice and held it there for Izaya to eat and the brunette shot him a look of disbelief. A flicker of irritation ran through the bodyguard. "Just eat it, damn flea."

Izaya recognized the warning signs and hastily sat up to take a bite. The burst of flavor in his mouth had the informant closing his eyes and a soft sigh of contentment. Shizuo shifted as a waft of apple-breath hit his nostrils. Izaya willingly ate the remaining half of the apple slice and Shizuo picked up another to repeat the process.

Eventually all the slices were eaten but Izaya, lost in some sort of apple-induced haze, craved more. Something touched his lips and he drew it in with his tongue. It had the faint taste of apple, as well as something else that he just couldn't describe…

"I-Izaya?"

The brunette's eyes snapped open and he realized that he had been suckling on Shizuo's fingers. Immediately his throat went dry and he swiftly moved away, face burning even more. Shizuo stared at him for a while before his gaze drifted away, too embarrassed to look at Izaya in the eye. Embarrassed because, well, he had… rather liked it.

"Uh, you should eat the orange too," Shizuo muttered, grabbing the orange. He squeezed to hard and the tender fruit almost burst, causing juice to leak out on his hand. Shizuo cursed quietly and lapped at the tangy liquid with his tongue, causing Izaya to shudder, imagining the pink tongue running along his skin…

A weird feeling crept down Shizuo's back and he glanced at Izaya, nearly falling off the edge of the bed as he did so. Izaya's eyes were feverish – not with illness but with pure _want_ – and his gaze was firmly on Shizuo's mouth. Shizuo had to clear his throat; if he spoke now, it would have come out as a croak.

"Oi, Izaya…?"

The informant snapped out of his lustful daze and he quickly averted his eyes, feeling even more embarrassed than before. Good god, had he just been…

Well, he supposed that he should have been thankful that his eyes hadn't traveled further south.

They sat there in a nervous silence for a while. Izaya, groping for some sort of lighthearted topic that would mask his insecurities, said as cheerfully as he could, "So about last night…"

Shizuo jumped a little. _He probably wants to ask what happened since he doesn't remember_, he thought. "Uh, yeah, I…" Shizuo interrupted the brunette. "N-Nothing really happened yesterday after you got drunk. We just drank some, ate the apples, and then I went home. That's all."

Izaya's comment of, 'my sister saw us' died on his lips and he twisted his neck to look at the blonde quizzically. "What are you talking about, Shizu-chan?"

"Huh? You're talking about last night, right? Since you don't remember anything…"

"… But I remember all of it…"

"… Huh?" Shizuo froze. "W-What did you say?"

"I remember it all. About me whining about my family, and then crawling onto your lap, c-confessing, the…" he trailed off. Shizuo's face now resembled a tomato with blond hair.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU REMEMBER!? YOU WERE FUCKING DRUNK!" Shizuo screeched. Izaya winced at the grating noise.

"I tend to remember what I do when I'm drunk… not that I can control my actions during that period of time," Izaya sheepishly admitted. Shizuo gaped at him before quickly standing and heading for the nearest exit. "Shizu-chan? Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving," Shizuo said, already halfway out the threshold. Izaya fruitlessly reached a hand out after him.

"W-Wait! Don't – " he was cut off by a fit of coughing. In a flash, Shizuo was by his side again, worried.

"Flea?"

Izaya grabbed on to the front of his shirt and didn't let go. "D-Don't leave," he managed to say between coughs. He tugged a little so that Shizuo would sit down again. "A-Aren't you supposed to be the one to kill me? If I die from an illness then don't you think it's anticlimactic?"

Shizuo stared at him for a moment before starting to laugh. He couldn't help it. _This_ was the Izaya he was more familiar with, cheeky and snappish, albeit much needier. "Whatever you say, you bastard," he growled in amusement. He sat down again and was surprised when Izaya scooted closer to lean his head on his chest. "Flea?" he asked again.

"Shizu-chan is warm," Izaya muttered, nuzzling against the blonde. He inhaled deeply and smelled the remnants of cigarette smoke, musk, milk, and baked goods. The combination was sort of weird but Izaya didn't mind. "You smell like sweet bread."

"Ah, yeah. I went to Miwa's earlier."

Izaya immediately pulled away. "Nacchan's? What for?"

"I've been kind of out of it all day, so Tom-san suggested that I go to Miwa's to clear my head. You know, since she knows me really well," Shizuo reached out a arm and pulled Izaya close to him again, puzzled, in the first place, as to why he would pull away. Izaya let him, though reluctantly.

"And? Why were you so out of it?"

Shizuo flushed and cleared his throat. "Well… you know, yesterday…"

It took a couple seconds before Izaya realized what the ex-bartender was talking about. He smiled, partially mortified, partially flattered. His voice, already husky from fever, purred, "And what about yesterday?"

Shizuo squirmed, caught in the headlights. "I, uh, couldn't stop thinking about… _that_ yesterday and I kept bumping into stuff and breaking them…" Shizuo paused as Izaya started laughing. He glared at the informant, temper rising. "Shut the hell up! What's so funny?"

"Shizu-chan was distracted by our make-out session yesterday," Izaya teased. Somehow his sickness made him feel much bolder than he normally would have been. He stretched up and gave the blonde a little peck on the mouth. "But it's cute. It makes Shizu-chan almost seem human."

Shizuo's face burned from the kiss and he growled a halfhearted, "Shut your damn mouth," before he leaned down and pressed their lips together. Then mouths opened and tongues intertwined and then Izaya was moaning in his arms and Shizuo was really, _really_ turned on.

Izaya pulled away a little and chuckled, his hot breath ghosting over Shizuo's face. "You'll catch my cold," he said softly, shuddering as he felt the bodyguard's calloused hands, cool against his enflamed skin, creep under his shirt. They moved slowly, exploring the soft skin and lean muscle, gradually traveling upwards.

"Shut up," Shizuo's voice seemed to rumble from the depths of his chest. "You kissed me first. And I don't get sick," he added, leaning in to kiss Izaya's ear. "Unlike a certain weak ass flea that I know."

"Shizu-chan is so – _mmm!_ – so crude," Izaya gasped out. He shivered as he felt Shizuo's tongue trace the rim of his ear, teeth lightly nipping at the skin. Shizuo's large hands ran up his sides and the thumbs, so casually that it seemed to be by accident, brushed over his nipples. Izaya let out a _very_ arousing noise and the next thing he knew, he was being forced back against the pillows and his shirt was yanked up so hard that the hem ripped. "Hey! I liked this shirt – _Oh_! Mmm…"

Shizuo, ignoring him as usual, bent over to place gentle kisses on the dark little nubs. Izaya groaned softly, feeling his breath intake accelerate. Why was Shizu-chan so good at this? He reached out a single hand and entwined it in blond locks, gripping softly. Shizuo lazily tongued his nipple and his whole body jolted as if receiving an electric shock. Maybe it was from the fever, but his whole body just felt hot and bothered. "Shizu-chan…"

Shizuo closed his entire mouth over the nipple and sucked ruthlessly, making Izaya cry out and writhe beneath him. He detached, leaving a thin string of saliva, and licked his lips. Izaya's cheeks were pink, his eyes glazed over, and his mouth open and panting. Shizuo groaned as he felt his buddy behind his pants zipper give a jerk. "Fuck," he breathed. "Fuck, Izaya…"

Then he dipped down again and kissed Izaya deeply. Izaya's other hand entwined in Shizuo's hair as well and they completely pressed against each other. As he pulled way, the ex-bartender rested his head against Izaya's forehead. "We should stop…"

"I will _kill_ you if you stop," Izaya's reddish-brown eyes shot daggers at him. Shizuo chuckled throatily.

"You're still sick. If we do… _that_ now, you won't be able to get up tomorrow."

"I'll take you up on that challenge," Izaya breathed. His hand reached down and gripped Shizuo's hardness, causing the blonde to shudder. He felt hazy and unsure of his actions, but he did know what he wanted. "I want this in me, and I want it _now_."

No man, straight or gay, could say no to that. Shizuo hastily undid the zipper to his pants and pulled his cock out, huge and hard. Izaya's eyes were glued to it. He slowly reached out and gripped it, running his thumb over the tip, causing Shizuo to give a soft groan.

"Izaya – "

"IZA-NIIIIII! WE'RE HOOOOOME!"

All at once the spell was broken. Shizuo and Izaya stared at each other for a fraction longer before Shizuo hastily rolled off the bed and on to the floor. Izaya hurriedly pulled the covers up to his chin to hide his ripped shirt and the light hickeys the blonde had unknowingly made. Shizuo, unsure of what else to do, crawled under the bed. He re-zipped his pants, groaning softly as it was confined once more.

Izaya checked over the side of his bed, realized what Shizuo had done, and quickly sat back again just as Mairu burst into the room.

"Iza-nii! You're sick! Why didn't you tell me? It's no fair if you tell only Kuru-nee!" she babbled, jumping on to the bed and curling up at Izaya's side. Izaya glared at her, pretending to be sleepy and irritated – well, the irritated part was real – and attempted to roll over so that his back was to her.

Kururi quietly came into the room and walked around to the direction that Izaya was facing. She got down on her knees and rested her arms and chin on the edge of the bed, so that she was looking directly into her brother's eyes. "Nii-san… okay…?" ("Is Nii-san feeling better than he was earlier?")

Izaya's eyes minutely softened. He knew that it wasn't Kururi's fault. She most likely tried to stop Mairu, but being the more timid sister, was probably overruled. He reached out and stroked her head. "I feel better, thank you. Your gift helped."

The older twin's eyes gleamed momentarily before she merely nodded, not trusting her to speak in front of her sister.

"Gift? What gift? Kuru-nee sent Iza-nii a gift?" Mairu chattered, leaning over so that her body was lying on top of Izaya's crosswise. "What did you send him, Kuru-nee?"

"Secret… Nii-san…" ("I can't tell you, it's between Nii-san and I.")

"So mean! Lately Kuru-nee has been keeping a lot of secrets from me!" Mairu looked highly indignant. "Kuru-nee doesn't love me anymore!"

"Love…" ("I still love you. Mairu is the only one.")

Mairu's eyes lit up and she tried to lean over and kiss her sister, only to be thrown off as Izaya forcefully rolled over so that she was thrown off the bed. "Hey!"

"Don't get all kissy-kissy in my room. If you want to do that, go downstairs. Or better yet, go back to our house. I reclaimed it."

"Don't be so cold Iza-nii! Mourning period isn't even over yet!"

"You don't look like you're mourning anymore. Go home."

"Leave…" ("Maybe we should go, Mairu.")

"What? Hmph, well, if Kuru-nee says so."

Mairu got up and flounced out of the room. Kururi leaned over and pressed a kiss to Izaya's sweaty brow, much to his surprise. "Kururi?"

"Better…" ("Get better soon, Nii-san.")

"Mm," Izaya couldn't help but smile. Almost as quickly as it appeared, however, it disappeared as his little sister spoke again.

"Under…" ("It must be very uncomfortable under the bed.")

Not helping the situation, there was a sudden jolt as the entire bed lifted half a foot in the air and thumped back down; Shizuo had banged his head against the bottom of the bed.

_Dammit, Shizu-chan!_ Izaya mentally cursed. Kururi looked amused.

"KURU-NEEEEE! WHAT HAPPENED UP THERE!?" Mairu's yell – not of panic, but of excited curiosity – called from downstairs. Kururi giggled before she patted Izaya's hand and slipped out. "Eh? Kuru-nee?"

"Nothing…." ("Nothing happened up there.")

"Really? You're not lying right?"

"Food…" ("Let's get something to eat and go home.")

"Ah, yeah! I saw some fish in the fridge earlier!"

As his sisters chattered – well, one of them anyway – Izaya could hear their voices going in to the kitchen. Shizuo took the opportunity to slid out from under the bed and gave Izaya an almost guilty grin. "Uh… sorry about that."

Izaya reached over and flicked him on the forehead. It barely even tickled the blonde but he winced out of pure reaction anyway.

"Looks like my sisters are staying for a little while longer," he said softly. Shizuo clearly knew what that meant and he awkwardly shuffled his feet before throwing another glance at Izaya.

"I'll, uh, see you later?"

Izaya gave him a small genuine smile. "Come back when I'm not sick, Shizu-chan," he paused and a rosy blush spread its way on his already flushed skin. "W-We can pick up then…" Izaya suddenly felt shy. The haze of the fever had made him bold, but normally under situations like this he had no idea of what to do. What he had said about Shizuo's… _thing_ going in to him… he dearly wished that he could have retracted it now.

"… Bye," Shizuo leaned down and gave Izaya a small peck on the forehead – funnily enough, the same spot that Kururi had kissed earlier – and quickly exited through the window which had been conveniently opened by Namie earlier. He supposed that he should thank her and consider her next request for a raise seriously. Only considering, of course.

...

...

...

"Taina?"

"Mmm?"

"Well, uh..."

"Spit it out."

Carsten shuffled his large feet, suddenly seeming to be very clumsy. "Are you really sure that there's something in between those two? Orihara-san and Heiwajima-san..."

Taina turned. She had been cleaning up for closing hours. Her violet eyes stared up in to the half-German's green ones and she went back to scrubbing at the tables with a sudsy sponge. "... Why do you ask?"

"They have been showing a lot of progress," Carsten replied. He rested his chin on the handle of the broom he was using. It was the new one that Miwa had made him buy after breaking the last one over Shizuo's head. "But I just can't shake off the feeling that something isn't right. We've helped other people who were in love with each other before, but we've never forced two people who hated each other into loving each other," he furrowed his brow, his normally childish looking expression serious. "And we've certainly never helped people like _these_ before..."

"There are all sorts of people in the world," Taina replied calmly, though for some reason she remained scrubbing at the table even though it was already clean. "Everyone has someone out there to love. As Manager has said, it is our duty to help those people. We just need to follow Manager's orders, that's all."

"I know, but..."

"If you know, then hurry and finish sweeping. Let's go out to eat later."

"For real!? Sweet!" Carsten began to clean animatedly. "It's been a while since we've been on a date, Taina!"

"Mm-hm," Taina picked up the bucket full of soapy water that she had been using to wash the tables. "Don't kick up dust everywhere. I'm going to go change."

"Hm? Are you not going to wear a Lolita outfit? That's rare."

Taina ignored him and headed for the kitchen. Yamikage nodded to her and went back to scrubbing his pots and pans. She dumped the water from the bucket in to the sink and set the bucket on the counter top. "Yamikage-san, where is the manager?"

"Out," was all Yamikage said. Taina knew to ask no more. The dark chef never spoke to anyone other than Miwa for extended periods of time. She also knew that Miwa and Yamikage had been partners for the longest time. What was kept between them was never leaked to anyone else. So all Taina had to know was that Miwa was out for the day.

There was another door from the kitchens, hidden next to the pantry, which lead to upstairs. Taina took the winding staircase and came on to the second floor. Once in her room, she undid the zip on the back of her dress and let it fall to her feet. Almost naked, she stepped in front of her full-length mirror and examined herself.

Scars. Thin and white and all over her torso. Some of them intersected into crosses or stars, and some even formed a pattern resembling a skeletal hand rising from the depths of her ebony-colored bra. She traced them all, unashamedly and without disgust. As a child they had been signs of her abuse. Now they were merely another part of her. Something of her that Miwa, Yamikage, and later on Carsten had caused her to accept.

Her memories of her home in Russia were nestled within a dark and swirling mass in her brain. Closing her eyes and falling back on to her circular bed, she allowed them to replay, remembering the ever finest moment of her young life.

* * *

Next Chapter: Taina Shchegolyayev

The next chapter is something like an omake break, discussing the pasts of the OCs. They aren't necessary to read and if you want, you could skip right over them, but I think you would be able to understand them better if you had a little insight as to what they were like before. Please enjoy.


	11. Taina Shchegolyayev

**Maru de Kusanagi:** Thanks :) I'm glad that you're curious~ It means that I'm doing my job properly, LOL.

**Lame Xcuse:** Whoa, marriage? At least take my fanfic on a date first. Yamikage is your first OC? To tell the truth, I think he's mine too, LOL. Now that I've really developed a background for him~ You'll have to wait for that one though. Thanks for the cake. Internet is my favorite.

**saski300:** Here is your quick update as you requested, dear~

I hope that you could find this fic. Now that I moved it to being M rated, some of my readers might not be able to find it... =_="

* * *

**_My name meant 'follower of Christ'. It meant that I followed His Son, the savior. I believed in God. I believed that he would protect me. _**

_I have always been able to see things that normal people cannot see._

_ No, I do not mean the spirits which possibly roam our world unseen – though I think I've spotted one once or twice. I mean threads._

_ Everyone has them. Red threads of fate which everyone had tied to their bodies. They were tied to pinkies, necks, ankles… each place represented a different relationship between the destined people. Pinkies were of love. Necks were of hatred. Ankles were of friendship. _

_ Haven't you experienced such a thing before? A meeting with a person who drew out one of these three emotions. Even it was the first meeting, you would think of this person for the rest of your life. _

_ However, the red threads of fate did not dictate everything. Humans are foolish after all. They can easily mistake any of these three feelings for something else. Hate and friendship could be mistaken for love. Love could be mistaken for hate. Friendship could be easily ignored and pushed aside. Hate was the same, because humans were determined to love others. It is not rare, for one to fall in love with a person who was destined to be your friend or enemy. Because deep down, you somehow knew, that this person would be by your side for the rest of your life. _

_ Sometimes worse things happen. Sometimes you fall in love with someone that none of your threads connect to. _

_ Such was the case between my parents. They met in America where they attended college together. Mother and Father had hit it off right from the start, due to both of them being Japanese Russians and feeling comfortable with each other. Familiar cultures always made friends. They soon married and flew back to Russia, where they had a baby girl: me._

_ They named me 'Taina', a Latin name with the meaning, 'a follower of Christ'. My parents were devout Christians who told me that I should always believe in the Lord and his Son. I did believe. I prayed and gave thanks to both every day. I thought that they watched over me and loved me. I thought they shielded me with His Grace and protected me._

_ But soon I came to see the threads, and my world fell apart. _

_ The first time I noticed the threads was when I was five years old. I saw them between my pretty twenty-something kindergarten teacher and the fifty-five year old principal. They were pinkie threads. The principal was married to somebody else. I didn't know what they were. I asked my teacher and she looked at me strangely. The other children teased me for seeing something that wasn't there. From then on, I kept my mouth shut. Even as I watched the next two threads slowly materialize before my eyes, I kept silent. _

_ Mother and Father worried over me at this time. I was always a quiet child, but I had been much more cheerful and much happier. They couldn't make heads or tails of it. But how could I tell them what I knew?_

_ How could I tell them that their threads weren't connected at all?_

_ Two months later, after I had first seen the threads, I met the principal's wife. She was an old, rather spiteful lady. Her hair was graying and falling out and her teeth were starting to go yellow from age. Nevertheless, she greeted our teacher politely and the teacher smiled at her just as politely. It was then that I noticed it._

_ A red thread between their necks, slowly tightening like nooses. I already knew what would happen before it did._

_ A month later, my young and pretty kindergarten teacher was found dead, stabbed to death. The principal had been removed from his post. His wife was arrested and given a death sentence. The teacher had been having an affair with the old principal and the wife had found out about it. The entire school was in an uproar over it. _

_ Here was the catch: I didn't think that the teacher and the principal having an affair was a scandal. They had the red thread. They were supposed to fall in love. It just so happened that they were of different age groups and one had been too late. _

_ The wife killing the teacher too. I didn't think that it was a scandal either. The wife was supposed to hate the teacher. Killing her, to me, made so much sense and seemed so very natural. _

_ Everything, I used to believe, had been preordained by the Lord and Christ. There was no use in being surprised over what happened. The red threads were the single and most powerful truth. Even my threads… well, it couldn't be helped._

_At this point I had already been transferred to a different school. It had been at my request. Though I figured that it would probably come to pass, I didn't want to be there when the murder happened. My parents, thinking that perhaps I was being bullied and that was why I had been so gloomy, agreed immediately. _

_ I can never forgive myself for what I had done to them. Never. The scars I bear now are retribution, and it still isn't enough. _

_ Father found his soul mate and fell in love with his co-worker: a young man five years younger than himself. He came over for dinner one day and Mother took to him immediately. I wasn't surprised; there was a red thread between Mother and the young man's ankles. I looked at the red thread between Father and his new lover. I did something I had sworn never to do. _

_ I told my parents._

_ The next day during dinner, I asked Father when he was going to divorce Mother. Both of them looked at me in shock. I merely sat there, munching on my pelmeni and patiently waited for an answer. Father stuttered to me, asking what I was talking about. _

_ Do you know what I said? "You're in love with that person from yesterday, aren't you? I saw."_

_ Mother had frozen and had dropped her spoon in to her soup. She calmly turned to my father and told him to correct me. He didn't. Mother left the room crying. _

_ In my childish naivety, I had forgotten to take human feelings in to account. It wasn't just all about destiny. I forgot that humans wanted a say in their own fate._

_ I had completely forgotten that Mother had loved Father, even if they weren't destined to be together._

_ Afterwards, Mother and Father fought every night. They screamed at each other, one with accusations and the other with denials. I cried every night, begging the Lord for forgiveness. One night I pleaded for him to take away my ability which had caused my parents such sorrow. I implored for normalcy and my parents to be happy. _

_ The next morning I could still see the threads. I haven't believed in God or His Son since. _

_Soon the young man left Father because he didn't want to be the cause of a broken family. It was too late. My family was shattered beyond repair. Mother fell to alcohol while Father fell to abuse. _

_That was when I got my first scar._

_ By now, Father and Mother knew about my abilities to see threads. They called me a little freak and hurt me, badly. Father took up scissors and knives, telling me that he could cut the threads. He slashed me all over my body. He hit me until his own knuckles bled. Mother just sat there, muttering obscenities in a drunken stupor, ignoring the both of us. _

_ Even so, maybe under some sort of desperation, my family didn't separate. The abuse merely got worse as time went on. Father was careful enough to make sure my scars never showed on public places. They were always on my breasts, stomach, back, rear. He never cut places that people would be able to see. _

_ None of us prayed to God anymore. _

_…_

_…_

_…_

_ In my second year of middle school, I met Manager and Yamikage-san for the first time. _

_ I had been out – not with friends, I didn't have any friends – shopping, but I hadn't bought anything. The brightly-colored and cute clothes didn't sit well with me. It felt like I was wearing a lie, trying to mask up hurt feelings with cheerful yellows, pinks, and baby blues. Along the way, I had passed by a café that hadn't been there two weeks ago. It was a small place, squeezed between a barbershop and a bookstore, with a sign spelling out _Angels' Delicacies_ in Russian. Back then there was only one floor and few tables. What hadn't changed were the good atmosphere and the ever prevailing smell of sugar in the air._

_ Feeling curious, I stepped inside the shop. I wasn't the only customer – there were several old ladies chatting merrily to a pretty young lady with shoulder-length black hair and gray eyes the color of dirty snow. Then she looked over to me and smiled. _

_ I remember the fear I had felt back then. A cold sweat had formed on my brow and I had stumbled backwards, trying to get away from her. I had been scared. I had been more scared than any time in my life. I couldn't help it. _

_ I had seen people without a certain thread before. Sometimes they didn't have a thread of love, or a thread of friendship, or a thread of hatred. There were some people who didn't have any threads attached to them because their destined ones had all already passed away. There were people like that. I had seen people like that._

_ However, I had never seen someone like Manager. I've never seen someone with all of her threads cut._

_ I had only seen a cut thread once, and that was on TV, when the principal's wife had been taken away. The thread around her neck had been cut, leaving the red loop around her neck and a tail dangling over her shoulder._

_ Murder…_

_ Perhaps if it was only the thread of hate, I wouldn't have been scared. However, all three threads were cut, and it terrified me. What sort of person would have cut all of the threads away? Even her beloved and her befriended. Did she kill them? She had to. The threads were cut._

_ Manager had come close to me, asking me what was wrong with genuine worry in her eyes. That made me fear her even more. How could she kill three people and yet worry for another? It scared me. She didn't seem to be human. _

_ She reached out to put a hand to my forehead. I ran. _

_ I ran away from her in terror, all the way back home. Father caught me and beat me again that night, but I let my mind drift away and only thought about that woman, the Manager. It wasn't just the cut threads that made me fear her. It was something else as well. _

_ She had dared to defied destiny. She had snapped off all fated bonds by herself. Such a thing frightened me, who had always seen destiny happen. _

_ And yet, as I had drifted to sleep that night, I felt an irrefutable pull towards her as well. She had cast off all things binding her and was able to do as she pleased. Unlike me, who still had all three of my threads tied._

_ What was the feeling that I had felt towards her? Ah, that's right… jealousy._

_…_

_…_

_…_

_ Due to my jealousy, I couldn't help but go see her again the next day. She regarded me with surprise, in turn unsurprising since I had run out in fear yesterday. I asked if I could speak to her. She agreed amicably and let me sit in the café. She didn't even ask why I had skipped school just to sit there. I remember clearly, of how my eyes followed the unseen threads looped around her throat, ankle, and pinkie. _

_ After the shop closed for the night, I still sat there. She came to me with two mugs of jasmine tea, each containing little white petals of the flower, and handing one to me. She did not sit down. It wasn't until later that I learned why. _

_ She asked me of what I wanted to speak to her about. Our conversation was casual, and yet the content would have confused any strangers who heard it. I had to give credit to Manager; she wasn't surprised by any of my questions at all._

_ "Have you… killed people before?"_

_ "Yes. How did you know?"_

_ "Why do you not lie?"_

_ "How did you know it wasn't a lie?"_

_ We exchanged roundabout statements and vague questions like this for the next ten minutes before I worked up my courage to tell her about my ability. _

_ "I… can see things."_

_ "Things? What things?"_

_ "Threads… threads linking people together."_

_ "Ah, I've heard of those. The 'red thread of fate', right? How romantic of you."_

_ I gritted my teeth angrily. She spoke as if it were a blessing instead of a curse. "As if you could understand!" I exploded, standing up and slamming my palms against the table in a fit of anger. "You don't know anything! Don't act as if you know!"_

_ "You're not telling me anything. Of course I don't know," she remained infuriatingly calm. "'Empathy' is a ton of bullshit. There's no way someone could understand another person's feelings unless they've gone through the same things themselves. But if you don't even tell me anything, then I'm not even trying to empathize; I'm just ignorant."_

_ Another tendril of fear drifted through me. This woman wasn't human. She wasn't afraid to accept her own unawareness and even addressed it. Not human I had met could ever do that. All humans claimed to know more than they did. _

_ "Well?" she asked me calmly. "I'm waiting."_

_ I didn't answer her. She sighed softly and left, taking the two mugs with her. I had spilled the tea when I had hit the table earlier. "Yamikage!" she called to her chef in the kitchens. Then she spoke in Japanese, which at that time I wasn't fluent in. Even now I can't remember exactly what she said. _

_ Yamikage-san came out. He wasn't as shaggy as he is now. His hair was still short enough to reveal his eyes and they were the same color as black coffee, and oddly liquidly-looking. If it weren't for those dreadful eyes he would have been quite a handsome man, I had always thought. He wordlessly mopped up the spill from the table and the floor, checked to make sure I didn't have any on me, and then gently patted me on the shoulder. He spoke to me in broken Russian._

_ "Best tell her," he said. His eyes were gazing straight in to mine and his voice was soft and soothing. Suddenly my fear disappeared. As he turned to leave, I noticed that he was the opposite of Manager. Yamikage-san had no threads attached to him period. That meant everyone that was supposed to be close to him were already dead, but they died without his interference. _

_ Manager came back with another mug, this one filled with rich hot chocolate and whipped cream and marshmallows. She gave it to me and reoccupied her stance next to the table. "Tell me?" she said again, and suddenly the words came spilling forth as if they couldn't come out fast enough. _

_ I told her about my happier childhood, my ability to see the threads and what I could divulge from them, and about how I had wrecked my parents' marriage. By the end of it, when I was describing the many scars over my body and even today's unsuccessful shopping trip, I was crying my eyes out and Yamikage-san appeared again with a tissue box. He placed it down gently next to me and then skulked back to the kitchens. I took one and dabbed my eyes with it. Manager patted my shoulder. _

_ "What do you want to do then?" she asked gently. "About your parents?"_

_ "I don't know," I had sniffled. "I… I envy you. You're not tied down by anything. 'Destiny' doesn't affect you anymore. I wish it didn't affect anybody. Then I wouldn't have to see these stupid things."_

_ Manager remained quiet for a while before she spoke softly._

_ "Miss Taina?"_

_ "Y-Yes?"_

_ "Who is your thread of hatred connected to?"_

_ I froze, my tears dripping freely down my face. How did she… when did she…_

_ She looked at me, expecting an answer. Yamikage-san's words rang through my head. "_Best tell her_."_

_ I looked down at my lap again. I cried bitterly. I told her. _

_ She smiled. _

_…_

_…_

_…_

_ Almost two months later, Russia's _Angels' Delicacies_ closed down after gaining a new employee. We were preparing to leave for Italy. Manager said that it was Yamikage-san's choice to go there. He had wanted to study their cuisine. _

_ On the day we left, I stood in front of my parents' graves. _

_ Mother had died from alcohol poisoning. Her death had caused Father to go mad with a twisted sense of grief. He had lost the other person that he had, at least at one point, loved. His beatings had become worse and worse, until one day I came home and found the entire building burnt down to cinders. _

_Father's corpse was found in his bedroom, next to an ashtray. It was confirmed by the firemen that it had been a fire started by a cigarette. I didn't know that Father smoked. I supposed that he had been doing it in secret. _

_ In front of their graves I touched my neck. The red thread that was supposed to be there was gone. In a way it had been burnt away by the fire. _

_ Yamikage-san tapped me on the shoulder. He held a clothing box behind him and he seemed almost shy. Yamikage-san did not talk to anyone but Manager for long periods of time. However, I learned of his natural kindness. He was the one who patiently taught me Japanese as he whipped up cakes and cookies at the speed of light._

_ He gave me the box. I opened it to find my first gothic Lolita outfit. Where he had gotten, I wasn't sure, but I fell in love with it on first sight. A black, flounced dress with three-quarter sleeves and decorated with tiny black beads which shone in the sunlight. It hugged my developing curves comfortably. The stockings and garter were both also black. There was a black silk ribbon to tie in my hair and a bunch of silver necklaces with skulls, crosses, and even one with a sweet little vampire bat charm. _

_ He patted my shoulder and said, "You said that bright colors didn't suit you."_

_ I hugged him. He squirmed uncomfortably and quickly broke away from me. "Manager is waiting for us," he said and hurried away. I lingered long enough to place a crown of sweet pea flowers on each of their graves. _

_ Manager had taught me. It was the flower language for 'good-bye'._

_ After a moment of hesitation, I also pulled out two more flowers from my purse. They had gotten slightly crushed, but I hoped the meaning would be clear._

_ Purple hyacinths._

_ 'Please forgive me'. _

_…_

_…_

_…_

"Taina!" Carsten rapped at the door. "Taina! Are you decent?"

"No," Taina sat up from where she had been lying prone on the bed, not bothering to make a grab for her clothes as Carsten boldly barged in anyway. He knelt before her and kissed her scars gently, not missing a single one. "Do you have a weird fetish or something? You always do that."

"I love your scars," Carsten proclaimed. "They're part of you. I love you. So I love your scars too."

"Idiot," Taina pushed him away and went to her closet. She picked out a dress with a flounced skirt and three-quarter sleeves and black beads decorating it.

"This one looks pretty old," Carsten remarked, feeling the worn fabric between his fingers. "A lot of the beads have fallen off already."

"Mm-hm," Taina said, searching through her jewelry box. She selected a necklace with a charm in the shape of a vampire bat. The silver was starting to get an old look.

"I'll do it for you," Carsten said eagerly, taking the necklace and using it as an excuse to brush his fingertips over his girlfriend's neck. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, wait," she said, moving in front of the mirror to remove her contacts. It was the first time she had removed them – other than sleeping – since she had examined the threads between Shizuo and Izaya.

The purple contacts gave way to startling blue eyes, the color of the clear summer sky. She stared at herself in the mirror, habitually touching her throat where the red thread no longer was.

"Taina!"

"I'm coming," she turned around, keeping her eyes down. She stared at her pinkie, the one with the red thread tied to it, and calmly followed it. It led her to Carsten, who peered down at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she said, clasping his hand and entwining their fingers together.

"Where do you want to go eat?" he asked as they began walking.

Taina shrugged. "Anywhere is fine with me. As long as I'm with you."

"Eh?"

Taina watched as a flush spread on the half-German's cheeks and couldn't help but smile.

"Carsten?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I love you too."

**_That day I lost my faith, I found it again in the shape of a person. _**

**_ She saved me and guided me away to my beloved. _**

**_ I was born to follow her. My name means to follow the Savior._**

**_ She rescued me. She was my savior._**

**_ I found my faith again and began to live for the first time._**

* * *

Next Chapter: Dream

This chapter was fun but depressing to write. It's also kind of messy, LOL.

If I offended any zealots out there, I apologize.

Next chapter will return to Shizaya. It should be fun... and more rated M stuff, LOL.


	12. Dream

**Maru de Kusanagi:** Thanks. I thought that it might be a little too hardcore for some people though...

**Lame Xcuse:** Disco Ice Cream? LOL, now I'm amused too. Here's chapter 12 for you with a ton of smut. :)

**ALC-Neechan:** I was wondering when I would get someone who said that they hated Miwa. Congratulations for being first, harhar. Want a fic? I could type one. Here's a smutty Shizaya chapter for your pleasure.

This chapter was really hard to get out; namely because I put smut upon smut in here. I just hope that it isn't boring. I haven't written smut in the longest time.

Well, enjoy yourselves, you perverts.

* * *

_"A-Ah! I… I can't anymore – ah!" Izaya whined pitifully as he writhed on the silk sheets beneath him, gasping as a particularly powerful thrust sent his mind reeling with pleasure. His captor held his erection with a large hand, squeezing – gently, gently, and yet so cruelly – and preventing him from coming. "Let me go…"_

_ There was a soft chuckle accompanied by another thrust. Izaya cried out again, hanging on to the sheets for dear life. The informant had no idea of how he ended up in this situation, and yet he couldn't say that he cared. It was too much, too hard, too fast, too _amazing_. His partner's free hand traced a soft line up his body with blunt fingernails, and the brunette gasped as he felt himself being released. _

_ "Come for me then," the growl was playful yet sensual. Another two hard thrusts and Izaya threw his head back, howling, because he was coming, coming, coming…!_

_ As he spiraled back down from his high, he felt gentle hands running over his bare skin, tracing the lines and muscles in his body. He moaned softly, and then cried out when suddenly his body was once more being pounded into. "Ah! Ah! No, stop! I can't…"_

_ "What are you saying?" he felt his balls being cupped and played with, causing him to keen in a high-pitched voice. "You're getting all hard again. Don't tell me you like being toyed around with? Shitty flea."_

_ "Ah! Nngh!" Izaya whimpered, reaching out and embracing the beast who tortured him so pleasurably. "N-No, I don't – mmm! – like it – AH!" he clawed at broad shoulders, nails biting deep and yet not cutting flesh. _

_ "Liar," chuckled the husky voice in his ear, making him shudder with anticipation and fear. "Tell me the truth, or I'll stop," as if to prove his point, all motions ceased and made Izaya buck his hips, needy and delirious with desire. _

_ "Ahh… g-give me more," he gasped out, submitting. "Shizu-chan…"_

…

…

…

Lounging on her bed, Miwa watched the footage her surveillance cameras, which she had placed in each individual home. She chuckled at the way both the bodyguard and the informant tossed and turned in their sleep. She heard Izaya give little quivering moans of "S-Shizu…" and Shizuo grumbling "Fuck, you sexy bastard…" in their respective dreams.

Beside her, Carsten lay inert on his back, his green eyes wide open and glassy. Taina had pulled his head on to her lap and she was now playing with his soft blond hair. Neither woman was alarmed or confused over this strange condition of the usually lively blonde. This was, after all, Carsten's ability.

All at once, the green eyes snapped shut and his sat up, nearly banging his head against his girlfriend's chin. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes to get the dryness out. "Holy shit. That Orihara Izaya-san has a really dirty mind."

"I could tell," Miwa said, amused and not taking her eyes off her screen. "You tied together their dreams alright?"

"Heiwajima-san was dreaming about his brother's wedding to Hijiribe Ruri before I made a couple, ah, adjustments," Carsten sighed and flopped back so that his head was once more in Taina's lap. "Such as putting Orihara-san in the position of bridesmaid, sexy dress and all. I think Heiwajima-san took it from there, and then Orihara-san's side of the dreamscape came in."

"And Orihara-san?"

"Orihara-san was already dreaming about it."

Miwa chortled. Carsten sighed. "Okay, I had enough of gay wet dreams for a day. Tainaaaa, take a bath with me."

"No."

"Why no!?"

Miwa tuned them out and she focused back on her computer, noting with a little grin that Izaya had just jolted awake, sweaty and gasping for breath.

Interfering with peoples' feelings was just too fun~

…

…

…

Izaya peeked under his sheets and groaned. He was thankful that Mairu and Kururi were both back at their house today. He checked the time: five-thirty in the morning. Enough time for him to wash the sheets quickly before Namie got in…

One wash and dry cycle later, Izaya smoothed his newly cleaned sheets over his mattress and sighed in relief. The evidence was gone, at least. He flopped back down and enjoyed the smell of soap coming from the fabric. It smelled good, but it didn't measure up to Shizuo's scent. Musk, milk, pastries, cigarettes… he realized that he was practically drooling at the thought and hurriedly wiped his mouth. Then he started laughing at himself. He was actually lusting after the stupid brute. Two months ago, he had wanted to kill the ex-bartender. Now all he wanted to do was to be fucked by him.

Come to think of it… when had it started? He supposed that he had always had these feelings. After all, he had been forcing Shizuo to chase him since high school. Had the attraction started then? Yes… it did. It was strange how he never noticed it until Miwa came –

Suddenly Izaya's thoughts crashed like a train wreck.

_Miwa_. He was investigating her still. How had he forgotten that? How the _fuck_ had he forgotten? He was Orihara Izaya. He never forgot things.

A chill suddenly set down his spine and he shuddered. _No!_ something in his mind screamed. _No!_ _Don't think about it! Don't!_

But he couldn't help it. An informant's job is to analyze. He had never felt anything but hate for Shizuo until Miwa came. Miwa had forced him into realizing his desire for Shizuo. By hypnotizing him into it.

As the realization struck, Izaya clutched his newly washed sheets, wrinkling them between his fingers, trying to ground himself. His red eyes squeezed shut and he took several deep breaths to steady himself.

_What if… none of this was real from the start?_

_ What if… Nacchan hypnotized me into loving Shizu-chan…_

He almost felt like crying, but Orihara Izaya never cried. He inhaled another, shuddering breath, and stood resolutely.

_If… if my feelings for Shizu-chan aren't real, then…_

_ Then…_

…

…

…

Later that afternoon, Shizuo sat on a barstool in the basement of _Angels' Delicacies_, his burning face buried in his hands. Miwa stood behind the counter, trying her best not to laugh.

"And _then_…?"

"Then… I, uh… licked his… uh…" Shizuo finally shot up, toppling over the stool. "SHIT! Why the hell are you making me describe my wet dreams!?"

"I want to know what perverted thoughts Shizuo-kun has~" Miwa said sweetly, her smile sparklingly bright. Shizuo gave her a vindictive glare from under his sunglasses. She laughed and patted his hand soothingly. "Calm down. I think it's sweet that you're starting to dream about him," her smile flickered slightly. "From past experience, that means that you're _really_ starting to like him."

"_MIWA!_"

"You've been yelling that a lot lately. Have you noticed?"

Shizuo growled threateningly at her and the brunette woman laughed again. Her gray eyes glowed brightly and made her all the more beautiful, but Shizuo didn't even notice.

Not that he could notice anymore. Now all he thought about was Izaya.

"But you know," Miwa remarked, turning around to wipe some of the bar's glasses, which had become dusty, "it might be a bit difficult at first."

"What will be?"

"Sex," she stated matter-of-factly, ignoring the blonde's sputter. "It's not that you're bad at it, Shizuo-kun, but if you get carried away then it'll start to hurt a normal person."

Shizuo stared at her before dropping his head into his arms on the counter. "… I know," he mumbled. That was the nice thing about dreams: they didn't include his freakish strength and make him mess up at the important parts. In his dreams, Izaya was seriously enjoying himself because he was being gentle.

Unfortunately, reality was not as forgiving.

"I'm sure that if you're careful and restrain yourself enough, you'll do fine," Miwa said, reading Shizuo's body language. Shizuo peeked at her from between his arms and sat up again. "If you control yourself, I'm sure that you won't hurt him."

"Yeah, but…"

Soft music filled the air. Miwa and Shizuo both looked confused for a moment. "Where's that coming from?"

"Oh, it's my cell," Shizuo realized, and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"… You put your brother's new movie's theme song as your ringtone? I see your brother complex is going on strong."

Shizuo blushed. "Annoying. Shut up," he muttered, flipping his phone open and putting it to his ear. "Moshi-moshi?"

**"Shizu-chan?"**

Shizuo blinked, took the phone away from his ear, stared at it, started at Miwa, then put the phone back to his ear. "… Flea? That you?"

**"Mm," **Izaya's voice was very soft and hesitant and, frankly, sent Shizuo's mind spinning into a dozen different fantasies of what he could be doing. **"Shizu-chan, could you come over to my apartment for a while? I need to talk to you…"**

"Sure," even to himself, Shizuo's voice sounded strange. "I, uh, guess you're not sick anymore?"

**"What?"** for a moment, the informant's voice sounded confused. **"Oh, no, I've gotten better since then. Anyway, can you make it here in about an hour? It's important."**

"Of course. I'll see you then."

**"Okay. Bye."**

Shizuo hung up and then turned to stare at Miwa, who grinned cattily at him. "You look happy."

"I do?" Shizuo brought a hand up to his mouth to realize that the edges were curled up in a smile. "… Oh. I do."

"Orihara-san wants you over at his place, hmmm?" the female drawled out. "He _did_ say that you guys would _pick up where you left off_ after he got better…"

Shizuo's face reddened. He _knew_ that he shouldn't have told her that… "Do you think that's what he's calling for?"

"I'd say so. Maybe he's having wet dreams about you too," she teased. Shizuo couldn't help but grin a little at the thought. The flea waking up in the middle of the night, sweaty from his sex-filled dreams, with a boner that he had to grip himself and masturbate – oh God. He felt his entire _being_ get filled with lust.

During this time he had frozen. Miwa waved a hand in front of his face. "Shizuo-kun? Shizuo? Hello?"

Snapping out of his reverie and swallowing the drool that threatened to trickle down his chin, Shizuo blinked. "I'm going to his place. Right now," he said brusquely before sprinting up the steps, taking five at a time. Miwa heard a slamming noise from upstairs and then the next thing she knew, Carsten and Taina were scrambling downstairs to find her.

"Manager! Heiwajima-san just knocked the front door off its hinges! The window shattered too!"

Miwa groaned. "Oh great. Yet another repair cost to take care of," she grumbled. Taina looked at her.

"Manager?"

"Mm?"

"Heiwajima-san's face was really red. What happened to him?"

"Oh. We were discussing him having sex with Orihara-san," she said nonchalantly. Carsten turned pink. Taina's violet eyes turned interested.

"A-And what _about_ sex with Orihara-san?" Carsten asked, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Mm, well," Miwa murmured, unaware of – or ignoring – how strange the conversation was getting, "I'm worried that Shizuo-kun might hurt Orihara-san by accident during the intercourse. Shizuo-kun has trouble controlling his strength in general, so in bed it's a bit of a problem…"

"Oh," Carsten paused. "… Um, Manager?"

"Yes?"

"Did you two do _it_ before?"

Miwa paused. "Why?"

"Well, uh, you seem to know about how he is during sex, so I just assumed…"

Taina cut in. "… But didn't you two date when you were in the second and third year of middle school? That's around thirteen or fourteen years of age, isn't it?"

"WHAT?" Carsten yelped. Miwa stared at the two of them before giving them a suspiciously creepy and blank smile.

"I'll leave it to your imagination~"

"WHAT!? Manager, even _I_ didn't have sex until I was in high school! And even back then, I… Taina? _Taina!_ Don't go! You're the only one for me, I know that now! Really!"

Miwa watched amusedly as her female employee turned around and stomped away while her puppy dog boyfriend followed her. She put down the glass she had been polishing and stared up in the ceiling, as she often did when she was thinking.

_Hmm… it's about time that Orihara-san remembers the role that I had to play in this,_ she mused. _Although I have nothing to do with his overall feelings, he might accuse me…_

_Well_, she smirked as she thought about the blonde – knowing him, he might actually try to run all the way to Shinjuku – and chuckled softly. _Hopefully Shizuo-kun can distract him and put his mind at ease._

…

…

…

Izaya never chewed his nails, but he was coming damn near close to it as anxiety closed in over his heart. He paced in his living room, wondering why Shizuo was actually _late_. It only took half an hour to get here and Izaya had been generous with giving Shizuo a full hour.

Even so, why was the caveman still _late_?

He had specifically told him that there was something he needed to talk about, didn't he? He needed to talk to Shizu-chan about Miwa, and what he had found out about her.

Sighing in frustration, Izaya sat down on the couch and clasped his hands together. He merely sat there like an inert doll for another ten minutes when his doorbell rang.

"Coming!" he got up and practically ran to the front door. To his relief, it really was Shizuo. Though for some reason he was holding… were those flowers?

"Here," Shizuo grunted, shoving the bouquet into Izaya's arms, nearly toppling the slender informant. "I picked them up on the way over."

"… Thank… you…?" Izaya said, confused. The bouquet contained all tulips, brightly and differently colored. Tulips meant 'declaration of love'… Izaya's face turned scarlet and he tried to hide his face. Oh, goodness. The protozoan wasn't actually using this as a confession tool, was he? But Izaya wasn't sure of his own feelings anymore…

Suddenly he was backed into the wall, Shizuo looming over him. A quick peek to both sides clarified his situation: he was trapped. Shizuo had both hands to the wall, securing him in the small space between. Izaya dropped the bouquet by accident and it landed on the floor. The bodyguard carelessly swept it aside with his long leg and moved closer.

"U-Um, Shizu-chan?" Izaya asked, mentally cursing himself for stuttering. Shizuo stared down at him, drinking in his flustered expression and the nervous smile.

_Goddamn_, why did the flea have to be this adorable all of a sudden?

"S-Shizu-chan, I just wanted to ta –_ah_!" Izaya gasped as Shizuo's lips were suddenly on his throat. His eyelids couldn't help but flutter closed, only to snap back open as he realized that he was losing himself. "S-Shizu-chan! That's not what I – _nngh_!"

"Stop playing hard to get, flea," Shizuo murmured huskily into his ear, causing the brunette to shiver. "Didn't you say that we'd continue once your fever was gone?"

"I-I did – _ahh_ – say t-that, but – _mmm!_ – that's not what I wanted to talk abooooout…" the last word became drawn out as Izaya's mouth fell open. Shizuo had nudged a knee between his legs and was currently rubbing it against his groin. Heat flew southwards and Izaya whimpered a little. "Shizu-chan…"

This, of course, turned Shizuo on even more. He longed to rip off the informant's pants, press him against the wall and fuck him senseless over and over and _over_ again, but he held himself back. He remembered what Miwa had said about sex with him hurting… he knew that it was true. He couldn't control his strength ordinarily, but, he thought wryly, for Izaya he would do his best. And that included restraining himself until Izaya was completely wet on the inside. _Then_ he could plunge in with no problems.

Well… no, even then he couldn't do it, but it didn't hurt to fantasize.

Shizuo nibbled on Izaya's collarbone, flicking his tongue out every once in a while to taste the shuddering skin. He felt Izaya's breathing starting to get shallow and suppressed a smile. The flea had finally stopped talking and was now gyrating his hips on to Shizuo's toned thigh. He imagined Izaya doing that to his own crotch and he groaned. The vibrations elicited a moan out of Izaya and the bodyguard felt hands gripping his shoulders.

"Mm, Shizu-chan, wait…" damn, the flea was starting to talk coherently again. He needed to fix that. _Gently_, he reminded himself, and let his hands slip under Izaya's black shirt. They traced delicate lines up the informant's torso, up to the little nubs which he softly thumbed. "_Oh!_ A-Aah…"

Much better. This time Shizuo couldn't repress the grin against pale skin. He switched from nibbling to suckling and Izaya gave a high pitched whine. "Like that?" he whispered. Izaya's throat quivered as warm breath ghosted over it. Shizuo moved his thumbs in slow, torturous circles, causing the brunette to throw his head back and bang it against the wall behind. "Ow!"

Shizuo paused in his ministrations. Maybe a change of environment was in order.

Izaya blinked hazily, his mind clearing at the sudden halt of pleasure. Remembering what he had originally wanted to say, he quickly started again. "Shizu-chan, about Nacchan – what are you doing!? Put me down, you brute!" he flailed as Shizuo grabbed him around the waist and easily slung him over one shoulder. "You protozoan! Release me this instant!"

"No," Shizuo stated, accompanied with a light squeeze on the informant's ass. Said informant squeaked very loudly and the beast grinned at the sound. Izaya continued to beat his fist against the blonde's strong back as Shizuo carried him up the stairs to the bedroom.

"W-Wait, Shizu-chan! I just washed those this morning!"

"Mm? Why?" Shizuo dropped Izaya on to the sheets and quickly crawled on top of him to pin him down; hands to hands, legs to legs, groin to groin. His mocha eyes were remarkably darkened with desire. "Were you dreaming a naughty dream, flea?"

The informant's pale face flushed an attractive shade of pink. Shizuo grinned in a feral manner, making Izaya shiver in both fear and expectation.

"Who were you dreaming of?" the blonde questioned. He moved his hips slowly and Izaya threw his head back, this time into blankets, and cried out as their arousals rubbed together through fabric. "Tell me, or…"

The unclear threat had Izaya gulping in nervousness. But he still had his pride, and refused to speak.

"Not talking?" Shizuo breathed, still moving his hips. He slowed down the pace even more, making Izaya groan and squirm as the needed friction lessened. "Maybe I should stop…?"

Fragments of last night's dream poured into Izaya's mind and he mewled softly. "D-Don't stop… please."

Shizuo laughed and went back to grinding. He was gentle and his touches – his kisses, his caresses, his words – were soft and quick. Somehow it felt like the bodyguard had suddenly sprouted an extra set of arms and another mouth, because his entire body was being touched and groped and rubbed and Izaya was writhing and whimpering as he felt himself approach climax.

Then suddenly Shizuo stopped and Izaya's eyes snapped open. "W-Why did you stop?" he demanded, his voice higher than usual. Shizuo laughed softly. He found that he liked being gentle. The flea gave the most arousing noises and movements when he did so. He gripped Izaya's shirt and pulled upwards, careful not to rip the fabric. Izaya immediately raised his arms and the clothing easily slid over his head. Shizuo gazed down at Izaya's half-naked body and found a carnal want stirring in his groin.

Izaya's skin was exceptionally pale and his torso was slender. He had abs, which he traced with his fingernails and caused Izaya to bite on to his fingers to muffle the embarrassing noises. His nipples were dark pink and currently very hard and perky. Without even thinking about it, he leaned down and closed his lips over one.

Izaya bit down _hard_ on his fingers and droplets of blood seeped out of the injury. He made little noises as he felt Shizuo's devious tongue swirl around his hard little nub and then the suction as Shizuo suckled at it. He clasped his other hand over his mouth as his back arched and he tried his hardest not to moan.

Shizuo, finally noticing Izaya's lack of noise, abandoned his ministrations and the informant's body wracked with shivers as cool air from the AC hit the saliva-covered nub. A string of saliva connected it to the ex-bartender's lips and he carelessly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

Reaching out, he played with the other nipple, rolling it between his strong fingers, and watched as Izaya's body jerked below him. Breathing heavily, he tugged Izaya's hands away from his mouth and murmured, "I want to hear you."

"N-No! It's too embarrassing!" the brunette refused, clearly still trying to maintain at least some of his dignity. Like hell Shizuo would let him.

Izaya's black shirt had been discarded off to the side of the bed. Shizuo grabbed it and twisted it so that it was like a rope. Izaya, his mind still hazy with lust, wasn't sure of what he was doing. Shizuo was kissing him again and that was all that mattered. He felt Shizuo's tongue slowly plunging in and out, rubbing itself within his mouth. A trickle of drool ran down the corner of his mouth and when the blonde pulled away, Izaya's pink tongue slid out and licked at it. It was one of the hottest things that Shizuo had ever seen.

Izaya, unsatisfied that Shizuo had pulled away, tried to lean up to kiss him once more, when he realized that he couldn't. He glanced upwards and realized, with slight amounts of both horror and arousal, that Shizuo had tied him to one of the bedposts. He slowly turned his head back towards Shizuo, unsure of what he would see.

What he saw was Shizuo's mocha eyes, darkened with desire. They stared at him, piercingly, and Izaya suddenly felt as if he were completely bare instead of half-dressed. He subconsciously crossed his legs and pulled him up so that his body was curled in a fetal position. Shizuo chuckled, lowly, throatily.

"It's a bit too late to start acting like a prude, Izaya-kun," he crooned. He effortlessly pulled at Izaya's legs and forced them to spread. Izaya bit down on his lip as the blonde slid himself in between them and pressed their clothed arousals together. Feeling hot himself, Shizuo stripped himself of his vest and shirt, smirking as he noticed Izaya's red eyes were glued to his toned chest. Then he deliberately fingered the waistband of Izaya's black pants and toyed with the button. The brunette's eyes went wide and he squirmed, feeling all the more nervous.

With a single, deft twist of his finger, Shizuo cleanly ripped off the button to Izaya's pants and yanked them down. Izaya let out a gasp. Shizuo eyed the tight black boxers hungrily. Izaya's arousal was straining against the barrier of fabric and he could tell that it was slightly wet.

"Does your thing want to come out and play, Izaya-kuuuun?" Shizuo grinned wolfishly and Izaya flinched at the clear innuendo. Smiling shakily, he tried to throw back a snarky comment.

"Only if it can go in to your house, Shizu-chaaan~" he said in singsong. Shizuo growled and pressed his palm – still gently, of course – against the brunette's erection, making him groan.

"As if you could ever top, flea," he grumbled in annoyance. Izaya, rather pleased by this sudden bout of teasing, tried to keep it up.

"I _have_ topped, Shizu-chan, I'll have you kno – " and then Shizuo's free hand was clamped over Izaya's mouth and he leaned in, glaring.

"So you've done this with some other guys?" he asked lowly, deeply. Izaya had, of course, done no such thing. Even Shizuo knew that. The bastard had no interest in having sex with – and Shizuo let his pride fluff a bit at this – anybody but him. But he wanted to see Izaya admit it.

Izaya, who knew what Shizuo was up to, felt intoxicated by this sudden power play. "Perhaps," he purred. Shizuo gazed at him for a little while longer before sudden he dipped his head down and pressed his mouth to the informant's clothed cock.

"_AHH!_" Izaya cried out, surprised by the sudden movement and pleasure. He felt Shizuo press his tongue against the bulge in his underwear. The warm heat so close and yet so far had Izaya squirming and writhing. Because his hands were now tied, there was nothing to stop the moans and the cries from pouring forth, and Shizuo drank it up like his beloved milk. Speaking of milk…

Shizuo opened his mouth and closed it over where the head would be and sucked ruthlessly. Izaya's back arched hard to the point where it looked like it would break. The cries coming out of his mouth were sweeter than any treat Shizuo had _ever_ eaten. Then suddenly Izaya flat out _screamed_ and there was a burst of deeper bitterness in his mouth – Izaya had come without so much as a warning.

Dazed, Izaya lay there inert on the sheets, his chest rising and falling. His red eyes, still glazed over, stared up at the ceiling, seeing nothing. Then he hissed, jerking back to reality as he realized that Shizuo had just pulled down his boxers and freed his semen-covered cock to the cool air. "Sh-Shizu-chan!"

"What?" the ex-bartender asked carelessly. He placed open-mouthed kisses on the inside of Izaya's quivering thighs, forcing Izaya to bend into something like a C shape. Knowing that his ass was completely exposed and feeling all the more vulnerable, the informant tried to close his legs together but Shizuo wouldn't let him. "You know," the blonde continued, making the brunette's slender legs rest on each of his shoulders, "Miwa told me this a while ago when we were still in middle school. Apparently it's not the cock which is most sensitive, it's the balls," as he spoke, he reached out with a single large hand and cupped Izaya's sacks in his hand. He played around with them, squeezing lightly and rolling them around in his hand. He grinned as they noticeably tightened in his palm. Izaya flung back his hand and cried out in sweet agony. "Ah! _Ah!_ N-no! Stop that, or I'll…!"

"Or what?" Shizuo's voice was laced with both sadism and lust. He smirked as he watched Izaya's cock harden once more. "You'll do what, flea?"

The weak threat died on the informant's lips and he merely moaned nonstop as Shizuo continued to play with his body. Shizuo's free hand came to stroke at Izaya's cock and he gasped as his body was over-stimulated. "Ahh! N-No, stop…"

"If it feels good, shouldn't you be asking for more?" Shizuo released him altogether and Izaya's whole body crashed back down on the bed in a boneless heap. He was panting, hating how he craved the blonde's touches.

"Enough…"

"Hm? What was that, Izaya-kun?"

"J-Just," it took all of Izaya's courage to say the next few words. "Just fuck me already! Please…"

Eyes widening, Shizuo grinned and once more spread apart Izaya's legs. "Stop closing them, flea. It's annoying," he glanced around the room and spotted a bottle of lotion on one of the informant's bedside tables. He grabbed it and lathered three of his fingers in it. It was cherry blossom scented and he snorted a little. "Oi, brace yourself. This is going to be cold."

"W-Wha – _ah!_"

Shizuo started out with one finger but already he was groaning in desire. Izaya's insides were burning hot and wet and the slick walls were already clamping down on his finger. Steeling himself, he slowly massaged the brunette's insides, using the absolute minimum of his strength. Izaya had shut his eyes tight and was breathing out hard through his nose. Shizuo supposed that it had to hurt for him to look like that. The lotion, however, seemed to be helping.

"Relax," Shizuo whispered. Izaya whimpered softly. Shizuo kept massaging slowly, feeling the walls contract. Izaya was now taking shuddering breaths through his mouth as he tried to calm himself. Shizuo knew that, if he wanted Izaya to enjoy this, he was going to have to take this slow.

Fifteen minutes later, Izaya had finally relaxed and inside him had become almost ridiculously soft and wet. Shizuo took a deep breath, controlling himself, and slid another finger in. Almost immediately he felt the brunette's walls tighten around them again. Scissoring unhurriedly, he focused on the expression on Izaya's face. The informant had bitten down on his bottom lip at the extra intrusion and a droplet of blood was forming on his previously perfect face. Leaning down, Shizuo licked away the blood then kissed Izaya softly and gently. Izaya, feeling himself melt into the kiss, let himself go. His inner walls relaxed again and Shizuo put in the final third finger.

The kisses helped greatly and Izaya found that the last intrusion didn't hurt as much. He felt Shizuo's fingers twist, curl, spread, and press inside of him and he moaned softly. He moved himself, wrapping his legs around Shizuo's waist. Without either of them meaning for it to happen, Shizuo's fingers slid deeper inside at this new angle and struck something inside Izaya which made him scream.

"_AHHN!_" he cried out, jerking against the bonds on his wrist. Shizuo looked just as surprised as he felt, and the blonde gave a small gasp as he felt Izaya's walls clamp down harder than before. Curious, he reached in and touched that spot again, making Izaya thrash about. "D-Don't do that! I'll… I'll…"

Suddenly he came for the second time that day, the white cum spraying on Shizuo's bare chest. The blonde stared blankly at the white substance before a truly _evil_ grin spread on his face. Izaya blanched.

"S-Shizu-chan…?"

That was the last coherent thing he could say for the next ten minutes as Shizuo repeatedly abused his prostrate and made him come again and again. Shizuo's other hand came up to grope at his sensitive parts – his nipples, his cock, his balls, his ass – and just made Izaya even more sensitive than ever. And, as he was still tied to the bed, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. All he could do was writhe and whimper and moan as he was drawn to his climax multiple times.

Finally, when Izaya was completely spent and exhausted, Shizuo withdrew his fingers and stared at the hot mess in front of him. The sheets, Izaya's stomach and chest, and his own abs were practically drenched in thick white cum. Izaya's face was flushed pink, his eyes watery, and his chest heaving up and down. The best part was, at least in Shizuo's opinion, was that after so many times, the informant's cock was still hard and ready for even more pleasure.

"Fuck," Shizuo muttered. "You are so damn sexy, flea."

"E-Enough, I can't do it anymore," Izaya whimpered. "Let me go…"

"No way," Shizuo slowly unbuckled his belt and undid the zipper to his pants. He pulled out his member, painfully hard and – Izaya gulped – huge. His eyes were unconsciously drawn to the pubic hair around it – brown, of course, Shizuo wouldn't dye his hair _down there_… would he? – and he almost missed Shizuo's purr. "I haven't even come once yet, have I?"

He felt Shizuo give him an experimental prod at his abused entrance and he practically screamed as he felt the head entering him. It felt as if it couldn't possibly fit, but his inner walls were slick with both lotion and his own body fluids. Shizuo grunted as he slowly sheathed himself inside of Izaya's body. God, this was better than he had ever imagined – or dreamed – about. The heat around his member and the clutching of Izaya's hole made him wish that he could just let himself go and come.

But where was the fun in that?

Centimeter by centimeter, he moved in. Izaya was keening and bucking his hips, making the blonde go in deeper. When he was fully inside, he ground to a shuddering halt and tried to prevent himself from just smashing into Izaya's heat. _Gentle_, he reminded himself again. He drew out by a few inches and then slid back inside in the imitation of a slow-motioned thrust. Izaya cried out again. Shizuo dislodged Izaya's legs around from his waist and hooked them back over his shoulders. Then he began to move and Izaya's throat went hoarse from screaming so much.

It had stayed gentle at first, with Shizuo slowly rocking his hips into his now-lover. He withdrew a little more each time and pushed in carefully. Izaya moaned continuously and bucked every once in a while. Shizuo, thinking to find that spot which turned the smart-mouthed informant into a desperate, whimpering mess, minutely shifted the angles every so often. He knew that he hit the jackpot when Izaya's legs almost squeezed his head off and he cried out in a truly _delicious_ voice. The wet walls clamped down _hard_ on his cock and Shizuo groaned.

He started to move faster, aiming for the exact same spot and watched Izaya's expressions as they twisted between pleasure, helplessness, and desire. He was still gentle, but it was awfully hard with Izaya starting to buck his hips in tandem with his thrusts. The walls around him became tighter and tighter and then Izaya was coming for the umpteenth time and the walls _squeezed_ and Shizuo couldn't take it anymore.

Izaya cried out for the final time as he felt a sudden warmth that seemed to explode inside of him and then Shizuo pulled himself out. Breathing heavily, Shizuo bent down and pressed kisses to Izaya's temple and forehead. Izaya tilted his head up and their lips connected. The kiss was chaste and soft. Then Shizuo untied Izaya's wrists and kissed the rings of chafed skin. "Sorry," he muttered, rubbing them tenderly. "I tried to be gentle."

"You were _too_ gentle, Shizu-chan," Izaya teased him lightly, now that he had his breath back. "That's not fitting for a beast like you."

Shizuo growled threateningly. Izaya laughed softly and pulled Shizuo down so that he was laying next to him. He glanced down at the soiled sheets and grimaced.

"We'll wash those tomorrow," Shizuo muttered, pulling them over himself and his lover. "Go to sleep, flea."

"Whatever you say, Shizu-chan," Izaya murmured in sleepy agreement. As he laid his head on the pillow, he remembered that he had wanted to speak to Shizuo about Miwa. But, Izaya thought before he drifted off, the blonde wasn't going anywhere. It could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Next Chapter: Reality

This chapter was super hard to get out, but I hope that it was worth your while.


	13. Reality

**Maru de Kusanagi:** Really? LOL, some others said that it was almost more like a rape scene. ***pointed stare at so-called 'others'***

**ALC-Neechan:** Actually, Miwa had the decency _not_ to watch. She's not really the voyeur type in the first place. :P And I am so sorry! I've been having another bout of writer's block (and a couple colds which seem to come with college in winter). I PROMISE that I will write your fic soon. Just before I do start, do you have any other requests within the fic? Place or mood for example...

**saski300:** After I finished writing this and remembered your comment, I wonder if you'll feel the same now. :P Personally, I prefer 'Dream's to 'Reality' (literally and figuratively).

**Lame Xcuse:** IT'S OKAY. We're all perverts here :) Try writing some smut of your own and tell me when you do. I'm going to try applying to be a Beta Reader (if I can figure out how) so I'd be glad to edit it. :)

**Fwuffy:** Why, thank you~!

**Guest:** Wow, a guest reader! Thank you so much!

**blackrose107:** Wai~! Here it is then!

College + Writer's Block + Sudden desire to write Pandora Hearts fic = lack of updates. Did I forget anything...?

* * *

Izaya blearily opened his eyes. He glanced to his left. The clock read around 6:30 in the morning. He glanced to his right. Shizuo was still asleep. Izaya smiled. His sleeping face was as cute as he remembered it. The first time he had seen it was in high school, when he had caught Shizuo fast asleep on the roof. Of course, the beast's weirdly good sense of smell had come to play and he had woken up almost immediately…

He wasn't waking up now though. Izaya sniffed the air and grimaced slightly at the scent of old sweat and sex in the morning. He wriggled himself closer to the blonde, trying to immerse himself in the more welcomed scent of cigarettes. The movement caused Shizuo to wake up.

Mocha eyes fluttered open. Momentarily confused of where he was, Shizuo shot up and grabbed the other bedside table next to him. "What the hell are you doing in my bed, flea!?"

"… Really, Shizu-chan, is that any way to greet the person you had passionate sex with last night?" Izaya rolled his eyes. He watched as the sleep cleared out of Shizuo's eyes and the realization in them.

"… Oh," the ex-bartender said, looking slightly embarrassed. His cheeks were tinted a faint shade of pink. _Cute_, Izaya thought. "… Morning," Shizuo said gruffly to cover up his awkwardness. He leaned down and lightly kissed Izaya's forehead. Izaya chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around Shizuo's neck to pull him back down.

"You missed," he murmured against the bodyguard's lips and kissed him, softly and sweetly. Shizuo responded quite enthusiastically. The next thing either of them knew, Izaya was pressed back against the sheets and Shizuo was nibbling on his neck. "Shizu-chan?"

"Mm?"

"Don't tie me up this time, okay?"

Shizuo grinned. "I can do that."

…

…

…

After a morning's round of sweet, romantic sex, Shizuo felt well refreshed and overly invigorated. Unfortunately, Izaya felt overly spent. He found himself once more resentful of the blonde's monstrous stamina. To say nothing for the pain in his backside…

While he laid in bed, moping about how much his ass hurt, Shizuo went downstairs to make breakfast. Izaya felt apprehensive about letting the blonde into his kitchen, much less letting him actually cook something. However, Shizuo had reassured him that he knew what he was doing. After all, he lived alone. He had to know how to do basics, at least.

The smell of eggs wafted up to the bedroom and Izaya thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. He had nothing against Western-styled breakfasts. The idea of Shizuo in an apron was so very endearing… But no, this wasn't the time to think such idle thoughts. Pulling his thoughts away from such sappy and lovey-dovey fantasies, he settled back down to the problem that he had yet to resolve.

Miwa. How the hell was he supposed to bring her up? _Sorry, your ex-girlfriend hypnotized me into it and I'm not sure if I actually like you? But the sex was great_. Yeah, there was no way that he could say that.

Damn it all! If only Shizuo wasn't so abnormally fond of Miwa. Though the two of them had decidedly broken up for good, he couldn't help but feel that the beast and the manager were too close for his liking. He smiled wryly at this thought. What was he, a jealous wife? No matter what proof he showed to the blonde, he was sure that Shizuo wouldn't believe him. The protozoan was too thick, both in the head and…

_Focus!_

Izaya shook himself mentally. Goodness, what on earth was he going to do? There was no two ways about it. Izaya would just have to suck it up and say it as flatly and plainly as possible.

Now if he could just figure out how to do that…

…

…

…

Shizuo had just transferred the eggs on to the plate and was thinking about making toast when he heard a soft clattering noise from upstairs and heard Izaya's feet making their slow descent down the stairs. He couldn't help but smirk a little when he saw a tousled mop of black hair peering around the corner of the doorway. "What? I didn't break anything."

"My, aren't you a clever one?" Izaya replied sarcastically, walking in. He wore the bed sheet around him like a toga or a robe, seemingly uncaring about the dried semen on it. Shizuo was convinced that the informant wasn't wearing anything under it and nearly got hard just thinking about it. It would be all too easy to just reach out and rip the sheet away and push him down on the table –

"Shizu-chan?"

Instantly the blonde snapped out of it. "What?" he asked stupidly. He followed Izaya's line of gaze and looked down at the pink, slightly frilly apron that he was wearing over his bare chest. "What?" he said again, this time defensively. "It was the only one."

Izaya had to suppress the desire to laugh. It was a 'gift' that he had bought for Namie as a joke. He had earned a slap from it when he joked how good it would look on her naked, but the look on her face had been well worth it. "If you'd like, I could buy you, ah, a manlier one," he grinned. "Though your birthday is in January."

"You know my birthday?"

"I'm an informant, Shizu-chan. I know everything," he said in his smug, annoying way that Shizuo would have normally punched him for. Now it just seemed positively cute.

"Stop being such an ass," he instead said gruffly and turned back around. He pulled out two slices of white toast from the nearby breadbox and popped them into the toaster-oven. He bent over to search the bottom cupboards for a frying pan – he had found a package of bacon in the fridge – when he felt what was _definitely_ Izaya's hands groping his hindquarters. Shooting up immediately, he whirled around to glare at the shorter man, who looked back at him, hiding his naughty hands under the sheet. The informant's red eyes twinkled and Shizuo found himself striding over, forgetting about breakfast, and wrapping his arms around Izaya to kiss him deeply. Shizuo had only pulled on his boxers and pants when he had gotten out of bed, though now he was wearing the frilly pink apron. Now he pulled it off with a growl of annoyance and slid his hands under the bed sheet. Izaya _was_ indeed naked underneath, though it seemed that he had at least thought to put on underwear. Licking his lips, he stripped the sheet away and gazed at the multitude of hickies speckling Izaya's otherwise flawless skin. Possessiveness welled up inside him and Shizuo nuzzled the crook of his lover's neck, his hot breath making Izaya shiver with anticipation.

"Wait, Shizu-chan!" and suddenly Izaya was trying to shove Shizuo back and he actually succeeded. It caught them both off guard and they stared at each other for a moment before Shizuo's puzzled gaze turned to a glare.

"What the hell, flea?"

"I wanted to talk, Shizu-chan. Since last night."

Shizuo paused. Ah, right. Come to think of it, Izaya had been trying to say something but Shizuo had been too preoccupied with kissing his brains out to notice. "Well, what is it then?" he asked, feeling both irritated and horny. It wasn't the best combination on a Sunday morning.

"Well," was Izaya _hesitating?_ "… It's about Nacchan."

"Miwa?" this caught Shizuo's attention. "What about her?"

There was an odd look on Izaya's face. Shizuo blinked. Was Izaya feeling… jealous? Was that what this was about? He couldn't repress a slightly grin. It gave him a huge ego boost that the one he loved – _loved_! He _loved_ him – was feeling some insecurity about his ex. Sure, it made him feel like an asshole for feeling good about it at the same time, but hell, the idea of Izaya getting jealous was just too good.

"… I don't like her, Shizu-chan. She's bad news."

"Coming from you? That's pretty rich," Shizuo snorted. "It's fine if you don't like her, though it's pretty unusual for anyone to dislike her. Miwa's always been real likable since we were in middle school," he watched as Izaya's expression twisted uncomfortably and couldn't help but feel slight satisfaction. "In all seriousness though, we've already ended our relationship. I don't feel anything romantic towards her now," he turned his voice comforting. He thought that Izaya would be happy, not shooting him the puzzled look currently on his face.

"Eh? What are you talking about, Shizu-chan?" Izaya brushed it aside. "I don't care about _that_. I don't like her because she's done something…" Izaya paused a little here. Cautiously, he continued, "… to me."

Shizuo, already irked from Izaya not caring about the placement of his feelings, stared at him grumpily. "What the fuck? Since when did she ever do anything to you?"

Izaya hesitated. Shizuo already looked pissed off, so he had to choose his words carefully. "… That time when I was drunk… that was because I had spoken to Nacchan earlier and she had told me some things…"

"What things?"

"Like how I might have never hated you in the first place."

Shizuo was now more confused than angry. "… So Miwa played Cupid? I still don't see how that's bad."

"What's bad is the way she did it!" Izaya exploded. "That woman _hypnotized _me! For all I know, my feelings for you could be – " he abruptly cut himself off. Shizuo did not look puzzled so much as thunderous.

"Your feelings for me could be _what_?" Shizuo said softly, dangerously. His mocha eyes were darkened with swirling emotions: anger, bewilderment, a hint of sadness, and – was it possible? – a touch of fear. Izaya could only see these emotions because he was used to reading people. Other than those burning eyes, Shizuo's face was exceptionally calm. Then again, he had always been, surprisingly, good at keeping a poker face.

"M-My feelings might be…" Izaya slowly backed away until he felt himself pressed against the wall. Shizuo was taking one step forward for every step he took back. Soon he was looming over the brunette, who felt the sudden itch to pull out a knife. If only he had one on him…!

Shizuo gazed at him with a steely glint in his eye. His hands, which were almost always in his pockets, were crossed over his chest, hands clenched into fists. His voice, though clearly filled with anger, was very steady and quiet. "Finish your sentence, Izaya-kun."

"They…" Izaya looked down at his feet. "They… might not be real…"

There was total silence while Izaya studied the shape and size of his big toe, not daring to look up. He didn't want to see the look on Shizuo's face, which was sure to be angry, disappointed, and possibly murderous.

He had forgotten, however, that Shizuo had the frequent tendency to be unpredictable.

Gentle, large hands closed around his shoulders and pulled him close. The brunette's head shot up. Shizuo's face was unreadable, even for him, but then the blonde was kissing him gently and sweetly and suddenly Izaya couldn't bring himself to care anymore. Slowly, he reached up with his hands to wrap them around Shizuo's neck, only to stop himself midway. This felt good, yes, but was it because of love…?

Shizuo eventually pulled away and Izaya found himself missing Shizuo's lips. When he spoke, his voice was still controlled and calm.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Unsure of what to reply, Izaya merely nodded. Shizuo gave a soft grunt and released his shoulders. He stood there for a few seconds, before suddenly turning on his heel and heading back up to the bedroom. Izaya, confused, grabbed and wrapped the bed sheet around himself again before following.

He arrived in time to see Shizuo finish buttoning up his shirt and pulling on his bartender's vest. He went to grab his sunglasses from the bedside table and tucked them into the collar of his shirt. Izaya stared at him, befuddled.

"Shizu-chan?"

"I'm leaving," Shizuo replied calmly. He glanced around, checking to see if he had left anything, then turned back around to go out the door. "Have fun with your life, flea. Don't bother coming to Ikebukuro anymore."

"What?" Izaya stared at Shizuo in horror. "Why?"

Shizuo didn't reply and just left. Izaya hurried after him, dressing be damned. He grabbed on to Shizuo's arm just as he was stepping out the front door.

"Shizu-chan! I don't understand any of what you're doing! Are you angry? Or are you just – "

"Izaya," Shizuo interrupted him. "I like you."

The simple, blunt, and clearly honest statement made Izaya freeze and stare at him like Shizuo had just spoke in Latin.

"I like you," Shizuo repeated, "even though I hated you at first. But if you don't like me too, then there's no point in having a relationship with you. I'm not the type who would be satisfied with only the body."

Izaya's grip on Shizuo's arm loosened until his hand was just uselessly hanging by his side. Izaya couldn't even find the strength to lift it up again. Shizuo just looked at him, his gaze cold. "… Goodbye, Izaya."

Izaya remained unmoving at the exact same spot, even when the door finally shut and Shizuo had walked out of his life. Slowly, his knees buckled until he was sitting on his legs, staring at the door, his red eyes dull and glazed over as if there was nothing to live for anymore.

…

…

…

"Oh, Shizuo-kun! Welcome!" Miwa said cheerfully as Shizuo strode in to _Angel's Delicacies_. It was a very slow day, and there were only a handful of customers sitting around and eating the sweet specialty pastries. Carsten was sitting at the piano, playing a soft, beautiful song which heightened the atmosphere of the room.

"What's the song?" Shizuo asked. The melody was beautiful, and so sorrowful at the same time. The notes were played delicately and gracefully. Carsten was talented, that was for sure.

"_Moonlight Sonata_," Miwa replied, resting her chin in her hand. "Isn't it beautiful? Carsten has always been really good at things like this, even though he doesn't look it. I love this song especially," she closed her eyes dreamily. "It's like it can wipe away all my troubles."

"S'not working for me," Shizuo grunted, causing Miwa's eyes to open and blink at him.

"What's the matter? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice going soft and musical again. For the first time, she took in the hunched shoulders, the furrowed brow, and the almost blank, glazed eyes. "Shizuo-kun?"

"… Me and Izaya 'broke up'," Shizuo said gruffly. "Not that we really had a relationship in the first place, but still."

If Miwa was shocked, she didn't show it. From behind her, Yamikage poked his head out from behind the kitchen door and started listening in. "Why is that?" Miwa asked, her voice no longer musical but steady.

Shizuo hesitated, unsure of what he wanted to say next. Izaya had accused Miwa, but… "The flea said that he wasn't sure if his feelings were 'real' or not," he said at last. "He said that he thought he might have just been carried away by the moment or some shit like that. Point is that we're not together, and we probably won't ever be," he finished bluntly, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette. Miwa didn't rebuke him, which surprised him. "… Miwa?"

"Oh," she said, her voice sounding disconnected from her body. "Oh. That's… too bad. I thought that you two would have been happy."

"Same here," Shizuo replied, taking his lighter from his other pocket. "But I guess we were wrong."

When he tried to flick it open, he accidently used too much strength and entire thing snapped in half. "Damn," Shizuo muttered. "I haven't done that in a while," he put down the ruined lighter on the counter. Only then did Miwa notice that his hand was minutely shaking. "Hey, Miwa, do you have a match or something back there?"

"Yes," she said in an almost wooden voice. She reached under the counter and brought out a pack of matches. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Shizuo took one out and swiped it along the bottom of his shoe to light it. "Ah, right, I'll just go outside or something," getting up, he took Miwa's hand and squeezed it softly. "Thanks," he said again. "Talking to you always makes me feel better."

He left and Miwa was left alone. She stared at the wooden counter, as if she would be able to see an answer. Slowly, she turned around and walked in to the kitchen. Yamikage, who had already pulled back, greeted her as if he didn't have a clue. "Manager? What's the matter?"

"I was wrong," Miwa said, bluntly but as if she couldn't believe it. "I was wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Yamikage pushed her gently on to a nearby stool and went to boil some water. "Manager, you're never wrong about anything. How could you be wrong?"

"But I was wrong!" Miwa cried out, suddenly forgetting herself. "Shizuo-kun and Orihara-san are supposed to be together! They're definitely supposed to be together, aren't they? So why aren't they? Even though I've worked so hard, they're still blind to their own feelings for each other!" tears began to run down her cheeks and she sobbed. "I was wrong!"

Yamikage said nothing. The kettle began to whistle and he turned off the stove. He took two clean cups from the nearby dishwasher and started to make tea. Miwa continued to quietly cry behind him. He turned around, just as she stopped hiccupping and wiping her eyes.

"… Hey, Hinata-san," she said in a small voice. Yamikage stiffened slightly at the use of his first name.

"Yes... Nagi-ojousama?" he asked. He hadn't addressed her by her first name since 'that' day, when he stopped being her friend and instead became her subordinate.

"… Have I ever been wrong before now?" she asked. She had curled up on the stool, the countertop behind her digging uncomfortably in her back but she didn't seem to notice.

"Why do you ask, Ojou-sama?" Yamikage glanced at his watch, checking to see if the tea had steeped enough yet.

"Because… I've never been wrong before," Miwa spoke to her knees. "Pairing people up, getting rid of evil organizations, saving people like Taina or Carsten from themselves… I've always done what I thought was 'right' and acting accordingly… but what if all those times I was wrong too, like today?" she looked up and Yamikage saw something that he hadn't seen a long time.

Her face was pulled in a tight smile, her eyes wide open and blank. When she spoke, her voice was that of a terrified child. "Hey, was I ever wrong?" there was only a small hint of madness in her expression, but Yamikage knew of the terror of Miwa being 'wrong' firsthand.

"… You've always done as you've seen fit, Ojou-sama," Yamikage said, dodging the question. "If you do not believe that you are in the wrong, then you aren't in the wrong."

"B-But…"

"Now now. Drink this," Yamikage handed her a cup of tea. "You're too stressed so you aren't thinking properly. I'm sure that Heiwajima-san and Orihara-san have merely hit a bump in their relationship like all couples do."

"What?" Miwa said confusedly. "Oh… yes, yes, that's true… maybe you're right…" she took a sip from her cup and sighed. "Yes, that must be it…"

Suddenly her body stiffened and she coughed once, twice. Then suddenly she broke in to a fit of coughing and she doubled over, hand to her mouth. Yamikage stood by, watching, twirling the small packet of extremely strong sleeping powder between his fingers. He had added it when she hadn't been looking.

Miwa fell forward on to the ground, completely knocked out. The resounding crash caused Taina to come scuttling in to the kitchen. "Yamikage-san? What happened… Manager? _Manager!_ What's wrong!?" she bent down at Miwa's side, checking her breathing. "Why is she asleep? Yamikage-san, what did you – " she was cut off as Carsten also barged in to the kitchen.

"What's going on? I heard a crash. Is everything okay?" he blinked, taking in to the strange scene. "Manager?" he bent down next to Taina. "Is she alright?"

"She's breathing, but…" Taina whipped her head around to look at Yamikage, who was still unconcernedly twirling the packet between his fingers. "Yamikage-san! What have you done to her!?"

"What? Yamikage-san?" Carsten blinked. "Yamikage-san, did you do something?"

"…подпадайте под мой период," Yamikage murmured in Russian. Taina suddenly stiffened.

"What?" Carsten, not understanding but knowing the language spoken. "Taina, what did he say – "

Taina rapidly stood up. Miwa, whose head was resting on her lap, hit the ground with a dull thudding sound. Carsten winced at the noise and quickly bent down. "Manager! Taina, what's wrong with you!?" he paused, finally seeing the strange expression on her face.

"Ah," Taina said, in a voice that seemed to be not all the way there. "Oh, Yamikage-san, is it that time again?"

"It's been a while," Yamikage nodded towards her. "A little more than a year. Ah, yes, Carsten-san. Because of that, you haven't been given the usual treatment."

"Treatment?" the half-Japanese was starting to sound hysterical. "What treatment? What have you done to Taina and Manager!?"

"Taina, hold him down," Yamikage pulled out his pocket watch from the pouch in his apron. "We will need to tame him."

"Yes," Taina said in the same odd voice. "As you wish," she grabbed one of Carsten's arms and slammed it down painfully on the counter. Carsten winced.

"Dammit," Carsten hissed. Using his free hand, he yanked open a drawer and scrabbled around desperately, searching for…

_Click_, went the holster of the gun. Carsten aimed it at Yamikage. "It's a good thing that Manager keeps these close by," he panted, ignoring the way his hypnotized girlfriend was twisting his arm. "Oi, Yamikage-san! Let Taina go! And give me an antidote or whatever for the Manager – "

"Taina-san," Yamikage said unconcernedly.

Taina let go of Carsten's arm in favor for grabbing his hand with the gun and aiming it directly at her forehead. Her boyfriend's eyes widened in horror. "If you want to shoot Yamikage-san, you'll have to go through me first," she said coldly. "But I wonder if you're really able to shoot me…?"

"Dammit…!" Carsten hissed, face twisted in pain and sorrow. "Dammit!"

Yamikage flipped open the pocket watch. The steady tick-tock of the hands cut the cold silence like a butcher's knife. "Well then, Carsten-san," Yamikage said softly, "shall we begin with your reformation?"

The strange noises in the back of the café had stopped, and the customers, initially curious, heard a strangely calming beating rhythm coming from the speakers, sounding oddly like the hands of a clock. It relaxed them and they eventually relaxed into their previous actions of friendly chatter and the clinking of teacups on saucers, unaware of the future troubles brewing merely twenty feet away.

…

…

…

Yamikage trod carefully up the stairs, cautious as to not awaken the sleeping beauty in his surprisingly strong arms. He headed towards one of the spare rooms and laid Miwa down on the bed. Tenderly, he brushed away the hair from her face and covered her with the soft blanket. He smiled sweetly, so sweetly that it almost seemed to be a lie. "I'm sorry, Nagi-sama," he murmured softly. "But from now on, we will be playing by my rules."

With that, he left her sleeping there and shut the door quietly behind him. The sleeping powder would keep Miwa inert for at least a week. Until then, he would have to work quickly to fulfill his own goals. "It seems that I will have to steal her identity for a bit," he murmured, heading for his own room.

The interior of his room was oddly normal, at least compared to Taina's. If one only took a quick glance, nobody would have noticed the gun on pegs above the door, the baseball bat in the corner covered with dried bloodstains, the odd mound of rope neatly curled up in the corner. Yamikage strode towards his bed and the laptop on it, mapping out his future steps in his mind. His laptop loaded quickly and Yamikage logged on to a very familiar website consisting of a chatroom.

**Username: EROS**

** Password: MESSIAH2.0**

Yamikage smiled as he scanned through the people Miwa had contacted through chat, making connections, finding pawns to use and places to go.

_ "Operation, start," _he murmured, clicking on an icon in Miwa's 'Friend List' titled_ **Chrome**. "Let the games begin_."

* * *

Next Chapter: Coup D'etat

GAAAAAAAH. GAAAAAAAAH. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO WRITE THIS ALL OF A SUDDEN? WHYYYYYYYY?

By the way, I was thinking about getting a tumblr or something similar to post up my writings. Or is wordpress better? I'm not very blog-savvy so some advice would be nice, please.


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